Ringer
by LittleMissMidnight
Summary: She was meant to die but was given another chance to live. Little did she know she had to live under the name of May. Soon a friend helps her re-discover herself and teaches her to fall in love once more. Advanceshipping. Franticshipping SatoHaru AshxMay
1. Day One:

I have no idea why I'm even bothering uploading this. The plot seems so odd. Well anyway, if you guys don't like it i can always delete it and hide if forever on my memory stick. =/

Anyway this story is inspired by many things. First off by the show "Ringer" (No, the title of this story was not based off that show.) "Impostor" (Filipino TV series) and the song "The one that got away" (I have no idea if that's the title of the song but meh. don't care.) The plot of those shows and song are so new and fresh which i love so much. So I began to wonder how to adapt to the pokemon world. Of course its hard but i like a challenge.

So thus, i came up with this. I'm not sure if i should continue it or leave it as a one-shot. But first, to my other stories! So enjoy this for the moment until i decide what to do with this.

~midnight

* * *

><p><strong>Ringer<strong>  
><span>Day one:<span>

Her body was lying in a pool of her own blood. Stains of her own blood were on her skin to nearly every part of body and clothes. Her fingers nearly dropped flat but it remained curled showing that the victim still was holding onto their life. The pupils had enlarged and they could not even see the state they were in. The wound they had received continued to empty all the blood they contained and blue veins and bruises began to form around it. Still even through the pain they continued to cry even though there were no more tears to shed. They continued to scream for help even though nobody would ever hear them.

Her life was now a waste. To die to protect the man she love and watch him run away broke her heart. The pain to watch her die for nothing was more painful than the way she was treated before she died. She loved him, so much that she was willing to die for him but she never knew if it would be worth it. Now she finally found the answer.

She closed her eyes and felt it was her time to go until she felt a gentle hand slowly patted her cheek. She opened her eyes halfway and saw it was a pokemon. A small flying lime green pokemon. It had small wings and giant eyes outlined in thick black lines. The pokemon was known to be called Celebi. The pokemon placed both of its long arms on the girl's fragile cheeks and tried not to cry for her. It tried to wipe away the blood stains on her cheeks but was stopped when Celebi saw the look in her eyes saying there was no point to save her.

"Don't...tr...try." she barely spoke. Her voice was all raspy and dry. "...it's all...oo...over." Celebi shook her head.

"_I know you didn't want to die like this. You want to live. You want to live in a different life." _Celebi spoke to herself.

"If I could...only live a...a new life. That would...make...me...e happy." She closed her eyes for the final time.

Her fingers dropped into the puddle of her thick blood as she took her last breath but as for her heart, it had already died when she saw the man she loved run off with it. Celebi began to shed her tears. She wasn't meant to be in this mess. She was just a little grass type pokemon that saved forests from begin burnt to the ground and she just happened to come across and witness the girl's death.

"_You tried to protect the man you love by putting your life on the line. But when you found out he ran from you, you gave up on everything and accepted your death." _Celebi clutched her fists and closed her eyes. _"No one should die like that." _The grass type looked at the young girl's pale face. _"I can help you." _Celebi clasped her hands together into a prayer-like position and her green aura began to form a dome around her and the young girl's dead body. Celebi closed her eyes and began to pray. _"Come; let me take you to a new world. Where I know you will be happy, there a man will truly love you no matter what happens." _Celebi paused before adding. _ "You deserve better Sapphire." _

.XxX.

Her eyelids began to flicker before they settled down and let her scope her surroundings. Everything was in in shades of white, they sky, the sand and even the cherry blossoms that had just bloomed. She clenched the sand and felt the tiny sand grains run through her palm. She opened her palm and outstretched her arms while still lying on her back. Tears began to run down her cheeks when she discovered she was somehow still alive. Soon a small grass type pokemon flew into her view.

"_Hello there Sapphire." _Celebi smiled. _"I'm glad to see your awake now." _

"Why did you let me live?" Sapphire asked. "I've lost my reason to live, why didn't you grant my last wish?" the brunette complained.

"_I know your true wish Sapphire, and your death wasn't part of it." _Sapphire glanced away from the pokemon. _"You really want to live a completely new life. Far away from this one you're in." _

"So what if that is true?" Sapphire refused to look at the pokemon. "All you can do is time travel through different times..." the girl soon sat up after her revelation. "...no, you're not going to do _that!_" Celebi laughed and spun in the air a few times before returning to the young girl.

"_I can bring you to a new world far from this one. Everyone you know in this world will not exist in that world. There will be people that will look similar from this world and then completely new ones. But mostly there will be one man there waiting for you and I can grantee you this." _Celebi smiled at Sapphire. _"He will love you for as long as he can. He won't run from you but instead come towards you. He will protect you when he can. His reckless but I know you'll fall in love with him." _Sapphire smiled.

"How can you say that? Have you even met this person yet?" Sapphire stood up to her own two feet. "Don't give me hope that world is better than this one!" Celebi sighed.

"_I've been to that world many times and the man I talk about has saved me and my friends many times during my lifetime and I know it won't be the last. So I know what I'm talking about!" _

The world the young brunette was in began to turn into shades of grey and black. The cherry blossoms began to wither and their petals falling the ground. The soft sand beneath her feet began to turn solid and dry. The white sky began to form thunderclouds. Sapphire felt panic enter into her bloodstream. She soon glanced back to the time travelling pokemon. The pokemon was holding a golden ring with emeralds running through the middle.

"_This world is beginning to die and fade away just you're about to Sapphire." _Celebi explained. _"If you want to live in the world I speak of then_ _wear this ring and it will take you there. I speak no lies when it comes to the matter of the heart. Sapphire, you died because you tried to save the man you loved in this world. You did nothing wrong so you shouldn't be acting like you did!" _Celebi screamed. Soon the ground beneath Sapphire's feet began to crack and split. The girl screamed and jumped towards Celebi. As the ground sank, lava began to spit and spread the lava everywhere. _"Are you ready to die just like that Sapphire?" _the legendary grass type asked. Sapphire reached out for the ring Celebi had shown her earlier.

"No." She spoke as she placed the ring on her ring finger. She looked up to Celebi and noticed she was smiling.

"_Good luck May." _ Sapphire blinked in confusion.

"May?" She asked.

But before the young girl could ask any more questions a bright light emitted from her ring and began to form a transparent white bubble around her. Before she could discover what happened to Celebi she felt her body lift into the air. The bubble began to rise higher into the stormy clouds before it popped and sent the young girl to her new world.

.XxX.

"Hey Doc, I think I can see her eyes moving!"

"And look, her fingers are moving as well!"

"Hey May, can you hear us! Open your eyes, it's us! Your friends!"

The girl opened her eyes for the second time and noticed two complete strangers right in front of her. One was a girl with long navy blue hair wearing a white beanie and a black and pink mini dress. The other one was a boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder. He was wearing a red cap with a black and yellow vest with light blue cargo pants.

"Platinum and...Red?" the confused girl asked. Both friends looked at each other in confusion.

"I knew this would happen." Sapphire turned to her left and saw a doctor in a long white lab coat. "After that tragic accident she has received amnesia." The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry." The girl held the boy back as she was about to rush at the old man.

"But you told us that wouldn't happen! Her injuries weren't that serious!" the boy continued to yell.

"But she had a fractured skull. There was a chance but it was very small. I never knew it would happen." The boy shrugged odd his female companion and gaze onto the floor. "I'm sorry." The doctor repeated. After a few seconds of silence the boy looked up to the brunette.

"Do you remember me May?" He asked.

"_May?" _Sapphire asked. _"Is that my new name in this world now?" _the girl paused before replying. "I'm sorry, I don't." The boy tried to hide his sadness by covering his face with his hat as his Pikachu tried to calm the boy down. He wiped his tears away before looking at the girl once more.

"Well my name is Ash Ketchum." Ash sat at the edge of her mattress. "We first met back in Littleroot town. Pikachu accidently fried your bike that you were using to head to Professor Birch to get your first pokemon." Ash continued to tell Sapphire the basics of her past life with him. The young girl couldn't help but softly smile at the young boy.

"Could I ask you a favour...Ash?" the boy was interrupted by Sapphire's sudden request. "Could we be friends like before?" Ash smiled.

"Of course May!" He smiled. "I'm really happy you asked me that!" He grinned. Soon his female companion introduced herself.

"And my name is Dawn Berlitz and this is my pokemon, Piplup." Dawn's water type waved at the girl. "I'm a pokemon coordinator and I'm trying to be the best Sinnoh has ever known. Just like you, thing is you want to be the best the world has ever known." Dawn giggled.

"I do?" Sapphire asked. "I don't remember saying anything like that." Both Ash and Dawn looked at each other in disappointment.

"Looks like she has received the worse case of amnesia, I'm afraid she doesn't remember anything about her past." The doctor spoke. "I'm going off to the reception to tell the nurses there." Both Ash and Dawn nodded and the doctor walked out of the room. When the doctor was out Ash reached for his pocket and dug out a pink and white ribbon with a gold centrepiece in the middle that seems to resemble a sun, but it was in half.

"Do...you remember this ribbon?" Sapphire stared at the foreign object for some time before reaching over to a green fanny pack placed in the side table place beside her. She dug until she reached for the other half.

"_Why did I know where this ribbon was, I barely know anything about this ribbon yet alone Ash." _Sapphire thought to herself. "I'm guessing this is really important to both of us, right?" Sapphire placed her ribbon beside Ash's which made the ribbon looked whole once more.

"At least were heading somewhere." Ash smiled. Dawn placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Let's get something to eat. May needs some rest and you need to eat. You haven't eaten since we came here two days ago. In fact you haven't even left this room since we came." Sapphire looked at Ash.

"_His been waiting for me to wake up for that long?" _She thought. "Thank you." She spoke. Ash face went red after hearing Sapphire's compliment. _"Nobody has done that for me, well for that long. He even went out for days without food." _

"I told Dawn I wouldn't go anywhere until you woke up May." He spoke before glancing over his shoulder and glancing at Dawn before looking back at Sapphire. "And now I can finally relax now that I know you're alright."

Ash returned his ribbon back into his pocket before saying his goodbye and went out of Sapphire's room for some lunch. Sapphire held her part of the ribbon near her heart and couldn't stop smiling.

"_What a sweet man._ She thought.

Soon she noticed a box of flowers beside her fanny pack with a white envelope place on the flowers. Sapphire reached out to the letter and read the name placed on the front of the envelope.

"_To May."_

"_May hm?" _the brunette thought to herself. _"Such a cute name, I guess it won't be hard to get use to it." _Sapphire turned the envelope over and opened the flap at the back and pulled out a note and began to read it.

_Dear May (Sapphire),  
>it's me Celebi and I'm writing to you. Well I'm using my powers to write, I can't write with a pencil like you humans do.<br>Anyway I'm writing to you to inform you of your new life I have granted for you.  
>Your no longer Sapphire but May. This is the other world I spoke to you about. You are a young fifteen year old coordinator who dreams to become the best the world has ever seen. But of course that's up to you now if you want to continue to be a coordinator.<br>The man I spoke to you was Ash. He might not look like a hero but I hope someday you will consider him a friend like May did.  
>I know you might be seeing this as a crime, by letting you take May's place but really, you're the same person just living in two different worlds.<br>And the ring on your finger, you will be the only person who will see it. Once your take it off you will revert back to your old self.  
>You can take it off anytime you want and live a new world all together in confusion or you could use the people I trust to help you guide you a new future.<br>There is a boy waiting for you in this world, it's up to you if you want to take the risk in falling in love again with that boy.  
>May, this is your world. Make it your own. Sapphire no longer exists.<br>~Celebi._

Sapphire held the letter close to her heart without noticing she was still holding her ribbon in her other hand and couldn't help but notice tears running down her cheeks.

"_The world I once knew is gone. Everything about me is dead. I'm living in a world that may look the same but is covered with a world of new people." _Sapphire turned to her side and gazed outside her window. "Maybe it was better if I just died." Sapphire looked at her ribbon she shared with Ash. "No, I can't just give up like that." She smiled as she looked at the ribbon. "I have a new life to explore."

Sapphire soon closed her eyes and before she fell asleep, she made sure she had the ribbon in her hand when she woke up.

.XxX.

"Now I'm sure you want to see your family right now." The nurse spoke. "Well their coming up here really soon so I'm going to go now." The nurse spoke before picking up her tray filled with medicine. "I'm sure you're going to be really happy to see them." soon the nurse walked out of her room before being replaced by her family.

There stood at the doorway was Norman and a women and a young boy. Sapphire blinked in confusion.

"_Wait, that's..." _Sapphire sighed. _"That's Ruby's dad! My father is Professor Birch not the Petalburg gym leader!" _Sapphire embraced herself. _"That's right. I'm May now. I'm no longer Sapphire." _Soon her train of thought was interrupted when the women went to embrace her.

"May my darling!" the women cried before backing up. "That's goodness your okay!"

Sapphire gazed at the woman. She knew by the way she spoke that she was her mother even though she never remember what her mother looked like in her original world. She never could remember what her mother looked like and Professor Birch never spoke of her often. Sapphire placed her hand on her mother's left cheek. Did her mother look like her or did she look similar to the women she was looking at? Sapphire began to cry once more before embracing her mother.

"Mom!" Sapphire cried.

"I'm so happy you remember me!" Sapphire tried to continue to smile even though her motivation was gone after hearing her mother saying she remember her.

When really, she didn't.

She couldn't understand, should she claim to be this woman May who looked just like her or accept that she _is_ May?

"May dear." Her father interrupted the two. "I want to talk to May if you will." Caroline nodded. As her mother backed away Sapphire pulled her sheets to her chest and began to feel uncomfortable.

This man was nothing but a gym leader to her. Her memories of him were rare. All he knew about him was that he was Ruby's father and he was the Petalburg gym leader, no more. Sapphire glanced at a young boy that seemed to be a few years younger than her. Norman had a worried look on his face.

"May, are you alright?" Sapphire didn't respond.

"Sis?" Max added.

She never remembered having any siblings and seeing all of this information of her new self was too much for her to bare. She held her head and began to scream. Norman and Max tried to comfort her but the girl backed away and shook her head. Her mother tried to race to her side but made the girl flee more. The girl's family backed away as Sapphire took her hands away from her ears and embraced her pillow as her body began to shake slightly. The nurses that rushed to her room asked her family to leave the room and let the girl to relax.

Sapphire watched as her family was escorted out of her room. Norman glanced over his shoulder while looking at her daughter with regret and sadness. Her room was locked and she was left all alone. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to weep.

"This is too much!" She screamed. She wanted to continued on scream all her confusion away but was interrupted when she hear the door unlock. "I thought it was unlocked..."

"May?" a voiced called in a nervous manner. "Are you alright?"

"Ash..." Sapphire softly spoke. She shook her head and nodded. "Yeah." Ash poked his head into the room and stared at her in confusion.

"You're got us worried back there." He softly smiled. "You don't have to act like that." Ash looked over his shoulder and noticed a nurse heading towards his direction. Ash quickly entered the room and closed the door behind him. "I'm not meant to come over but you really got me worried I had to come to see you."

"_He came for me?" _Sapphire didn't have much time to think to herself when Ash took a seat on her mattress.

"Hey I saw a contest outside. I was wondering if you could go enter in it." Sapphire blinked at Ash in confusion.

"But I don't like contest. I like gym battles." Ash looked at Sapphire in confusion. Ash laughed. "Hey!"

"You really did hit your head hard didn't you?" Sapphire crossed her arms. "Don't you remember anything from your coordinating days?" the brunette shook her head.

Ash glanced at the window and looked down and saw they were not too far down from the ground and also noticed a thick branch leading from the window to a tall tree. He looked at the wall clock and noticed visiting hours were done and dusted and it was time for him to go. But in Ash's mind that wasn't the case. He reached out for Sapphire hand and dragged her to the window.

"Look over there." Ash pointed to a contest hall not far from where they were both. "We can make it there before the nurses come and check on you. We could register you if you want or we could watch a few to jog you memory again." Sapphire looked at Ash.

"What are you trying to say?" Ash grinned and sat on the window sill before jumping on a branch and offering his hand to his old friend.

"Come-on, it won't take that long. Only five minutes, promise!"

Sapphire looked at the boy before grabbing hold of his hand as both slowly made their way down. Sapphire looked up at her room before begin interrupted by Ash grabbing her hand and dragging her to the contest hall.

As she held his hand the girl couldn't help but smile. Even though she had known him under a day she could feel that she could trust him with anything. Much more than to her newly discovered father, younger brother and her long 'lost' mother. She looked up to the setting orange sky with determination.

"_This place isn't so bad after all." _She watched as Ash continued to drag her to the contest hall. _"I might have lost my old friends, my pokemon and all my Hoenn gym badges but at least I can live a new life." _She held Ash's hand tighter. _"If I can get to have people like Ash around then everything will be fine. I know it." _

.XxX.

Both made their way to the building but were stopped when the front entrance was closed. Ash pulled on the closed handle many times before Sapphire pointed to the boy the sign told him to push the door, not pull. Even still the door was truly locked. Ash was looking around the building before inviting Sapphire to come join him. Behind the building was a back stage door that was left open.

Sapphire nearly lost her ability to breathe when she noticed how large the stage was. The floor was just polished that you could see your own reflection on it. Red satin curtains were tied back and placed the the ends of the stage and the chairs formed a semi-circle formation with the stage in front.

Ash dug into his pockets and pulled out a pokeball and placed it in Sapphire's hands.

"I'm sure you can do the rest." Sapphire shook her head quickly. Ash glared at her in disbelieve. "What, you can't remember how to throw a pokeball now?" Sapphire shook her head again.

"It's the fact that I'm such a huge stage. What can you do on such a stage?" Ash sighed. He wanted to face palm himself at this point. Ash walked away from the girl with his back facing her.

"You once told me that coordinating is like pokemon battles but more elegant and you have to use your pokemon moves to create wonderful and beautiful combinations." Ash turned around to face her. "Think it like that and I'm sure you'll be fine."

Sapphire looked at the empty pokeball and smiled with determination. She cheered herself on and held the pokeball high in the air before throwing it but was interrupted when Ash grabbed her hand with the pokeball still in her hand.

"Wow, this is going _way _back." Sapphire titled her head on confusion. "The pokeball is going to crack if you throw it like that."

Ash walk behind Sapphire and reached out for her hand that still held the empty pokeball. Without noticing Ash had wrapped his left arm around the girl's waist as Ash wrapped his fingers around the girl's hand. He brought her hand down and used it to demonstrate the brunette how to throw a pokeball in a normal manner. Soon Ash felt that Sapphire's arm not willing to move to his ways. He looked over the the girl and noticed her sad expression on her face. Sapphire reached out for ash's other hand and held it tight.

"Why did you stay by my side while I was in a coma?" The brunette asked. Ash paused before adding.

"Because I was worried for you. I can't let you go like that."

"What really happened to me?" Ash suddenly embraced the girl tighter.

"You...were on the cruise ship heading back to Johto after visiting me here in Sinnoh for the Wallace Cup. While you were heading back the ship had some problem and began to sink. The news didn't tell much."

"I feel like I'm abusing you Ash." Sapphire looked to her right and saw Ash still with her. "You know so much about me but I know nothing about you or what happened between us." Ash broke the embrace and turned the face Sapphire.

"Then let's start again." He held out his hand the the brunette for a handshake. "My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town from the Kanto region. I hope to someday become a Pokemon Master." Sapphire giggled at the boy's somewhat formal explanation of himself.

"I'm..." Sapphire paused before adding. "...May Maple from Petalburg City and I hope someday to be the world's best pokemon coordinator." Sapphire accepted the handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ash Ketchum." Both teenagers laughed.

"It's nice to meet you as well May."


	2. Day Two:

Ahhh! so many reviews for one chapter (14), i'm so flattered! Truly! I didn't expect so many people to like it. ^^; And lately a lot of people have been saying i'm one of the best advanceshipping authors right now, Oh gosh, really? I'm not that good. There are many other better writers than me!

And this pass week I've discovered three AS one-shot dedicated to me. Again, thank you but i really don't deserve such a award.

Anyway to the story, I've made my mind up to continue it, so enjoy!

~midnight

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><p><span>Day Two:<span>

She continued to sit in her empty room and waiting for another day to end. Her mother sat in front of her, sitting on the edge of her mattress. She had her distance from her in case her only daughter went into another meltdown. Sapphire didn't speak any words and continued to look down at her hands. Her fingers continued to play with the ribbon she shared with Ash. She tugged the pink and white ribbon and rubbed the golden centre piece many times.

"May" Caroline began. "Please speak with your father and Max. They are extremely worried for you." Sapphire didn't reply. Caroline noticed the toy the brunette was using to pass the time and placed her hands on it. Sapphire looked up and looked straight at her mother. "Why do you keep holding this ribbon?" Sapphire paused.

"Because it's the only thing that resembles the old me." She spoke. Her mother lifted her hand from the object. "I want to be the daughter you remember. But how can I when I don't remember a single thing about myself?" her mother placed her hands over her daughter's.

"Believe in yourself May. I don't care if you're not into contests anymore or if you don't want to travel anymore. At the end of the day you're my daughter and I will love you no matter what you become." The mother of two wiped her daughter's tears away.

"Thanks Mom." Sapphire spoke. She glanced over at her door and nodded at her mother. "I'm ready to speak with Nor- Dad and Max now." Caroline smiled and patted Sapphire's cheeks softly.

"Thank you." Sapphire smiled and her mother's words.

The doorknob began to twist before the door unlocked. The door creaked and squeaked as it began to open. At the entrance were her father and her younger brother. Max was hiding behind his father. Caroline kissed her child on the forehead before leaving the room. As she headed out she kissed her husband softly on his lips and embraced Max before leaving completely. Norman took a wooden chair and placed it near Sapphire's bed.

"Are you alright?" Sapphire didn't reply but soon nodded in response. "I'm glad." He smiled. "I was so worried for you."

_"This Norman seems to be more calm and sweet than the one I remember back in my old world." _Sapphire thought to herself. _"He isn't as rough and mean like I remember." _

"Hey sis?" Max called. Sapphire looked at her new sibling. "Do you hate us? Is that why you screamed when we entered the other day?" Sapphire shook her head quickly.

"I don't hate you it's just...all of this new information is all to me. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Phew." Max sighed in relief. "I thought you were mad at me and I thought that was why you screamed like that." Max stopped hiding behind his father and sat on his sister's bed. "So are you okay to come home now?" Sapphire glanced at her brother in confusion. "What, you don't know yet?"

"May." Her father spoke in a more confident manner. "Your mother and I decided it's best if you continue your recovery back at home."

"But-" Norman held out his hand in a 'stop' position.

"No excuses. I don't want you get yourself into more trouble." Sapphire held her ribbon even tighter.

"I don't want to go back home!" Sapphire screamed. Tears began to run down her face. "I want to stay. I want to be the daughter you remember me as. I want to find myself again." She wiped away her tears but more came to replace them. "I want to be the old May you loved and remember."

"Sis." Max interrupted. "As long you're alive, that's all we want. I might pick on you and tease you from time to time which leads to fights but at the end of the day..." Max's face began to flush bright pink. "...you're my sister and I love you no matter who you are now!" Norman smiled.

_"So many people love me in this world. Do I really deserve this much affection?" _Sapphire reached her hand to her brother and patted his cheeks softly. "It makes me really happy to hear that. Thank you." Sapphire looked at her new found father. "Nor...Dad." Sapphire smiled.

It was childish for her age to ask for something small and sweet. But in Sapphire's new world, she felt like a little innocent child. She couldn't go anywhere without the navigation from Ash and the tender loving care from her mother. Now finally accepting her new family she discovered a little brother to help and tell stories too and a father who would protect her at any cost. She opened her arms wide and Norman knew what his little girl wanted.

Norman embraced her daughter and held her tight. He could feel just in the way she embraced him that it was weak and fragile, just like a little child. Sapphire began to weep in her father's arms and Norman comforted her by gently brushing her long brown hair.

"Please...let me stay. I want to find myself again." Sapphire broke her embrace with her father. Norman sighed and soon smiled.

"Just don't do anything stupid alright?" Sapphire nodded. "We'll stay a little longer, maybe a few days. Just to make sure you don't do anything stupid." Sapphire laughed.

"Yes Sir!" All of them began to laugh.

_"Some things don't change at all." _Max smiled. _"There are things that May will always have that nobody will ever take from her." _

* * *

><p>"Training begins now!" Dawn cheered in her pink and white cheerleader outfit.<p>

"Is that really necessary?" Sapphire pointed at Dawn's outfit. Ash sweat dropped.

"Don't know. I never bother to ask why she does it though." Ash laughed.

_"He doesn't get it. Boys are so useless." _The brunette sighed. Soon her train of thought was interrupted when she felt Ash placed a pokeball in her hands.

"This isn't an empty pokeball this time, I promise." Ash laughed before adding. "Anyway this is your very first pokemon. I thought it was best for you to see him again." Sapphire gazed at the red and white machine. Sapphire smiled as she threw the machine into the air and soon released an old friend of hers.

_"Toro." _Sapphire smiled as she went to embrace her first pokemon. She turned to face Ash. "Where did I get her?" She asked.

"Back in Littleroot town, you picked Torchic because you thought Treecko was creepy and scary and you were one hundred percent not picking Mudkip after it used water gun on your face." The young trainer began to snicker about thinking back to his female companion's younger days. "It took you awhile to stand on your own feet though, I remember back when Torchic was young that when it saw Team Rocket's Seviper it started to panic and run away and you were so defenceless." Ash continued to laugh. Sapphire began to feel irritated.

"Toro- I mean Blaziken use Flamethrower." The brunette pointed at Ash. Blaziken obeyed her trainer and blew flames into Ash's face. Dawn stopped her cheering and just sighed. The boy quickly fell down to the ground.

"So training is over for today?" Dawn sweat dropped. Piplup mimicked his trainer's action.

Ash had decided to teach Sapphire the basics of coordinating in the hospital's garden. It was large enough to be treated as pokemon battle field. The day was early and the morning sun had just woken up from behind the clouds. The air was crisp and fresh and the hospital began their rush hour.

"Not even!" Ash said quickly in determination after his quick recovery. Sapphire was surprised by the boy's determination to help her. "We are going to get you into coordinating first before we call it quits." Sapphire sighed.

"When was the last time you gave up on anything Ash?" Sapphire sighed. When the brunette glanced at the boy she saw he became slightly depressed after what she has spoken to him. When the trainer noticed his sudden change in expression she just smiled at her and waved. _"Idiot." _Sapphire spoke. _"Yet I can't really dislike him either. His is such a nice guy; I mean his going to help me even though I'm not the same person he used to know." _

"Now May." Ash interrupted the girl's train of thought. "Do you remember Fire and Water whirlwind?" Sapphire shook her head. Ash looked a little disappointed. "Well I'm sure Dawn can help you here."

Sapphire looked at the young blunette. She waved at her with a giant grin on her face. Dawn or known as Lady Platinum Berlitz in her old world. Her counterpart was so much more down to earth compared to the fancy ladylike one she was use to and somehow this one was clumsier. Dawn ran towards the brunette with her water type in her hands.

"It's a really simple technique May." Dawn smiled. "You tell Blaziken to use Fire Spin and I'll tell Piplup to use Bubblebeam afterwards. It a beautiful technique." Dawn clapped her hands together and cheered. "I can't wait to see it."

The young brunette looked at her fire type. It was still standing by her side and at one point looked back at her. The fire type looked at her in confusion and began to wonder why her trainer was looking at her at a long amount of time. The Blaziken was not as strong and tough as her old one. Her fur was soft and no knots could be found. No massive wounds were visible and the flames on its wrists and neck were bright and alive.

"Ready for some training?" Sapphire winked.

"Blaze!" Blaziken roared, showings its fire around its body.

"Alright!" Sapphire jumped into the air in excitement. "So all I do is use Fire Spin." Her companions nodded. "Alright Blaziken, use Fire spin!"

"Piplup follow it up with Bubblebeam!" Dawn cheered.

Flames soon began to spin in a clockwise direction and up high into the air as Piplup jumped up high into the sky to combine Bubblebeam to the attack. When the bright flames and fragile bubbles collided it showered with golden fireworks. People around the garden stopped and couldn't help but gaze at such a wonderful combination. The little children jumped in joy and laughed in happiness as others clapped and smiled. When the move was over the sound of the applause increased and Sapphire's couldn't stop smiling.

"That was beautiful!" She softly spoke. "I never knew coordinating could be so much fun." She muttered to herself.

"You're a quick learner." Ash placed his hand on May's shoulder. "That was better than I ever though." Sapphire blushed at such a compliment.

"Oh come-on." Sapphire hid her blush with her green bandana. "I was just lucky that you guys were here to remind me of that move."

"Stop being so modest May. You're a great coordinator."

She was, 'once'.

Before everything came crumbling down.

Before her life became a mess.

They received no response from the new coordinator. Instead she poured her tears into her green bandana. She was accepting things that never belonged to her or even be hers. This was a world she should of never have entered or be introduced into. She was claiming everything that belonged to a woman that looked just like her just more...beautiful.

Her ribbons, her pokemon and even her name; Nothing of this was _hers. _She was just a young eleven year old travelling on the road to beat every gym she could come across, stop Team Magma and Aqua and train until her last breath. This world was everything she didn't want to be.

She fell to her knees with her face still covered with her green bandana, just like her ring and her lies did. What was the point of living a new life if it's covered in lies? Soon she felt her green bandana being tugged away from her face. In her view it was her new mentor and old time friend, Ash. He was worried with his friend's sudden breakdown. He softly pulled the green material away from Sapphire's grasp and wiped her face dry with it.

"Hey." Ash began. "What's wrong?"

She couldn't possibility tell him. He had such high hopes for her; she couldn't let him down now, or ever.

"Nothing." Sapphire lied. "I'm just...overwhelmed."

Liar.

"If you're thinking about what Drew said to you, then don't." Ash added.

Another privilege that was never meant to be hers. Sapphire looked into her friend's eyes.

"What did he say?"

"That you weren't allowed to use the fire and water whirlwind you made. He said that you weren't good enough to control such a combination."

"His...probably right." Sapphire picked herself off the ground and rushed out of the garden.

"May!" Ash called out. "May!"

* * *

><p>Soft hands soon opened a small case, three in fact. One green, teal and orange. Inside held ribbons in many different colours, patterns and size. In the green case the ribbons were much bigger and simple but as she moved on to the orange case the ribbons were smaller and there weren't much ribbon glued on the golden centre piece. She traced her finger tips over the thin silk ribbons to the hard and solid golden centre piece.<p>

She quickly slammed the lids for all of her cases quickly and refused to look at them any longer. She clenched her fists and tried to hit the mattress as hard as she could but all they became were soft gentle taps. She looked at her right hand and noticed the golden ring with emeralds running through the middle of it.

_"If I take this off, all of this will be over." _She wrapped her fingers around the ring and was nearly caught taking the item off until she heard a scream calling her name.

_"Have you lost it May!" _Celebi screamed. _"Are you that desperate to give up on everything I've given you?" _Sapphire provided no response. _"Answer me May!" _

"Everything that I have doesn't belong to me! What right do I have to own it, I don't own these ribbons, I didn't make friends with these people and I have no right to steal a family from another!" Sapphire screamed.

_"You fell in love; you placed everything on the line. You had no other plan because you were so sure everything was perfect. And at the end everything you worked for got stolen from you because you fell in love. What I'm giving you is not stolen, it is a gift." _

"A gift for falling in love?" Sapphire looked up to the grass type. She soon swiped her ribbons off the bed in frustration. "There is no such thing!"

"May?" A knock on the door made Celebi vanish into thin air. "Are...are you alright?" the young brunette didn't reply. The young trainer soon walked himself in. "If you keep acting like this I don't think you will be able to go home tomorrow." Ash joked but Sapphire wasn't in the mood. "Okay...maybe I'll come another time."

"Wait." She spoke but still didn't look at her friend. "Would you mind if I ask you something?" Ash nodded. "Would you still be friends with me if I didn't do things or act the way I once was?" Ash walked to his friend's aid and sat on her bed.

"Of course!" He grinned. He grabbed her hand and held with his two hands and continued to smile. "You will always be my friend no matter what happens!" Soon tears of joy ran down Sapphire's face. Ash began to worry. "Hey, did I say something wrong?" Sapphire smiled and shook her head.

_"This goofy idiot. He has no idea what his doing half the time, but perhaps it because of this, that I might stay in this world a little longer." _Sapphire rushed to his arms. "No, it's just I've never met anyone like you. You're still willing to start anew even after what I've been through." Sapphire broke her embrace and sat on her knees. "Thank you." She smiled. Ash noticed some tears were still on her cheeks and wiped them away for her.

"No, thank you."

"What for?" Sapphire asked on confusion. Ash shook his head.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." He patted her head. "I better get going. I got some training to do. You get some rest." The brunette cheekily smiled back at her friend.

"Yes teacher!"

* * *

><p>The moon began to rise from behind the hills as the sun went to hide and rest for another day. The sky was clear and no cloud was in sight. Every part of the night blue sky had little white stars all over it. Inside a room slept a group of friends. Surprisingly Ash was the only one awake and was digging through his bag looking for something desperately. His Pikachu continued to watch as his trainer looked through his green backpack. Ash soon withdrew from the search and sighed.<p>

"No use, I can't find my hat anywhere."

"Is that what you were looking for all this time?" Dawn looked down from her bunk bed. "Can't you wait until tomorrow?" Ash shook his head. "You seem to be misbehaving when Brock isn't around."

"Hey!" Ash stood up on his own two feet. "I don't misbehave. Brock is coming back tomorrow, he just had to go home and look after his siblings for a few days. Don't make it sound like his gone forever."

"Can you just get some sleep?" The blunette asked. "I'm really tried."

"Soon." Ash spoke as he ran to the door. "I have to find my hat." Dawn sighed and went back to sleep.

Outside the pokecenter with his most trusted pokemon Ash began to think of all the places he had left his hat. Ash glanced at the huge hospital building a few blocks away from him.

"That's right. I left it at May's room." The boy chuckled. "But visiting hours are over." Silence overcame the two. "It won't take too long."

Ash quickened his pace to the huge medical building and walked over to the giant oak tree he used to get Sapphire to the contest hall. The branches underneath him swayed gently in the light wind and barely let some light in which made climbing the tree more difficult than usual. He placed his hand and feet on branches that were strong enough to hold him until he reached the branch that led to his friend's window.

He knocked a few times before peeking and saw she wasn't in her room. Soon he found the window was slightly open. Ash pulled the window up and let himself and Pikachu in. He looked around and found his hat on the floor, underneath a few sheets with May's contest ribbons scattered all over the floor. He reached over for his hat and placed it on his head before grabbing all of May's ribbons.

"I'm worried." Ash spoke to Pikachu. "May has been acting really strange lately. This isn't her."

"Chaa..." Pikachu responded with a worried tone.

"Well I'm sure we can ask May tomorrow. She needs the rest, after all she is going back home back to Hoenn early tomorrow." Ash sighed and softly muttered. "She's leaving...again." the boy picked himself to his feet and looked out of Sapphire's room. No nurses or doctors were in the hallway. The boy quickly rushed out of Sapphire's room with Pikachu tagging along.

Ash knew where _May _was. It seemed second nature to know where she would head when she was down. After losing in her contests she would sit on a bench outside and looking the world around her. It was like she spaced out from the reality of losing. Escaping was the only option from her and Ash felt that as her mentor it was his reasonability to bring her back home and help her train even more and help her dreams to come true.

And there she was, in the garden sitting on a bench surrounded by different varieties of roses and flowers. In the middle of the garden was a simple yet beautiful water fountain. Ash stood at the entrance and watched Sapphire watching the full moon at its beauty. Beside her was her Glaceon and Beautiful was flying around the garden.

"Moonlight Beautifly." Beautiful looked at her trainer and nodded. The bug type expanded its wing and looked like it covered the moon with its huge wings. Her wings began to glow and glitter-like light began to form around her wings. "Now icy wind Glaceon."

Glaceon blew out soft ice cold wind at Beautifly, but not major to avoid any damage. The sparkly icy wind began to shine with Beautifly's moonlight. Sapphire smiled.

"Now spin around and use silver wind."

Beautifly flew in a clockwise spiral direction up towards the sky with powdery scales blow with the wind. The wind even made some roses lose their petals and join the whirlwind. Beautiful stopped flying up and opened her wings again and she shined even more. Sapphire patted Glaceon as Beautifly flew and sat on top of her head. Sapphire laughed. Soon she stopped when she heard somebody clapping after her performance.

"I knew you still had it in you, May." Ash took a seat next to her friend.

"What are you doing here? Visiting hours are over." Sapphire spoke. She shoved a little from Ash. Sapphire wasn't use to begin so near to him.

"I forgot my hat so I came over here to get it." Sapphire eyes widen in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"You broke in?" Sapphire panicked. _"Even Ruby could live a day without his hat." _Ash began to laugh.

"Only temporarily." He continued to laugh. Sapphire got the tip of his hat and pushed it down and giggled. "Hey!" Sapphire laughed at Ash's childish behaviour. "Uncalled for!" Sapphire soon returned to her silent state afterwards. Ash stared at her before asking his friend a question. "May." This caused Sapphire to look at Ash. "Why did you throw all your ribbons on the floor?" Sapphire looked away.

"They're not mine. I didn't work for them so I don't deserve them." Ash nearly fell off his seat after what he heard.

"Have you lost it?" Ash screamed. "I saw how hard you worked for those ribbons. If there is one person that deserves them it's you, May!"

"The May you saw back then isn't the same one right now. She died on that ship." Ash moved closer to Sapphire and placed his hand on top of Sapphire's.

"What happened to you?" Ash asked in a concerned manner. "You're making me really worried about you." Sapphire stood up and walked a few steps away from Ash. She had her hands around her back.

Sapphire turned to face Ash. "Many things." She spoke. "I'm not the same person as I use to be." Ash soon clenched his fist and stood up.

"I...I don't care who you use to be May!" tears were running down his face. "All I care is that you're alive, safe and here with...me!"

Sapphire felt her heart strings being pulled. This man, did she really deserved him or did May? Did she have any right to take him from her? Sapphire smiled and tried to hold her tears back as she walked up to Ash and patted his cheeks softly and lay in his arms afterwards.

She didn't know him much, in fact he was nothing but a stranger to her but to Ash, and she was much more to him. But the memories Ash had of her were as real as they could get, even though she would only imagine their times together by his stories, it was enough for her to imagine what _she _use to be and capture Ash's personality. Their times together, even though it was not her that fulfilled them she was convinced to create new memories with him that May couldn't.

It was her life now, she is _May_, and everything she shared with Ash will be hers and nobody could take it from her. This was her world now. The brunette promised to herself to fulfil things that the old May couldn't.

"Thank you." She muttered before closing her eyes and falling asleep in his arms. Ash held her close and held her in his arms, with a soft and warm smile on his face as he returned the sleeping brunette back to her room.


	3. Day Three:

Thanks guys for all the reviews. I want to reply to all of them but it's too much for me. I'll try to reply to all of them though, even if it take me the whole 2012 to do so!

So after my little holiday break and letting my fingers heal after a nearly tragic Christmas cooking incident I'm back with a new chapter! Also i went to serebii today, I'm nominated for 5 categories i think (best advance, ikarishipping, ferriswheel, multishipping fic of 2011 and best author). I'm so flattered. First time to be on that list. =D

12 pages for this one. I want to add more but I loved the way this chapter ended that i didn't want to change anything! You'll understand once you read it. =D

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Three:<span>

She pressed the both of her palms onto her bag of clothes trying to force her overfilled bag to be able to fit all her clothes into one bag. Her little brother, Max watched from the door and sighed. He crossed his arms and continued on watching. He wanted to speak but decided to watch his older sister stress over nothing, after all, thats what he was best at doing; being a pain for his sister.

"Didn't May have a yellow backpack when she came to visit us?" Dawn asked as she entered into the room with her two companions. "Anyway it doesn't matter." She added. "Hey May!" Sapphire glanced over her shoulder and saw it was Dawn. "Remember Brock?" The blunette pointed to the former gym leader over her shoulder.

_"Isn't he a gym leader from Kanto? I've only heard names of him...so what the hell is he doing here?" _Sapphire shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright. It was expected." Brock replied. "So you're going to hang with us for awhile?" Sapphire nodded. "Well that's great, just like old times!"

"Well for you guys, but still I'm excited to travel."

"Just like before." Ash spoke. "Some things don't change at all." The teenager smiled. "Well are we all ready to go? I want to get my seventh badge!"

"Typical Ash." Max spoke. "Always thinking of badges and gyms. Don't you think of anything else?" Ash laughed.

"What else does a fifteen year old think of?" now it was Max's turn to burst into laughter.

"I dunno, girls maybe? Why don't you ask Brock?" Max continued to laugh.

"Why do I want to think about girls?" Ash asked in an innocent manner. Sapphire began to laugh.

_"His so cute when he acts like that." _She quickly noticed what she just thought of and face back to her bags again. _"Did I just admit I'm attracted to Ash?" _Sapphire zipped up her overfilled bag quickly before she began to think of other love-relating ideas. "Alright let's go!" She was surprised to see Ash was still in her room as the others had just left. "Huh?"

"May?" Ash began. "Before we go can I ask you something?" the brunette nodded. "Are you sure you're really alright? You're acting really strange lately. I'm really worried for you."

This man, this man she only knew for three days was dead worried for her. He knew her for five years. He was his mentor, friend and... She shook her head to get her last idea out of her head. She trusted this stranger, she trusted this person. If Celebi trusted this man with her life then she could as well.

Just as long she didn't get killed for it.

She wiped her tears before putting on a fake smile. "I'm alright. After a few days here I'm okay-"

"You're lying." Ash spoke in a serious manner. Ash closed the door. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's up."

Telling him what was wrong wasn't an option for Sapphire. Telling him the truth would just cause him to believe she was lying even more and probably show she couldn't trust him. What could she say that would make her feel better and at the same time make him believe she was okay?

Tell him that she wasn't May Maple but Sapphire Birch?

That she was killed in the name of love?

That she never a coordinator but a pokemon trainer?

As much she wanted to scream to him everything she knew, she couldn't and never could.

"Please believe me Ash. I'm alright."

Sapphire heard Ash sigh as he opened the door and took off his hat and returning it back onto his head afterwards.

"Alright you win." He spoke. "I was never good with these things. Drew was always a better choice with these things." And soon afterwards the boy made his way out.

"Drew?" Sapphire asked herself. "Now who on earth is he?"

* * *

><p><em>I knew he loved me. I could just tell by the way he looked at me, the way he held me in his arms and the way he grasped my hand. Or even the way he would kiss my lips so sweetly and tender. So why did he keep denying that he loved me every time I asked him? Was it a long running joke of his or was he embarrassed to say to the world that he loved me to? What was I so embarrassed about?<em>

_ Was it because I refused to wear girly clothes? Was it because I act like a boy most of the time? Was it the why I acted at public?_

_ Why didn't you say anything? Ruby? _

She slowly opened her eyelids to be greeted by the sun's warm summer rays and the clear blue sky. They had all left the pokecenter a few hours ago after a long talk with Sapphire's parents. She felt guilty to leave her parents just when she let them into her own life but she wanted to travel her new world and become May, even though she could never be the May her friends remembered her to be, she knew that. Sapphire just wanted to be the May that the old one could never be.

She scoped the surroundings around her. Everyone decided to stay the night in the forest where it was dry and warm before heading north to the coldest part of Sinnoh; Snowpoint City. Brock had fallen asleep after a hard hour of cooking and Dawn was doing the same with her Piplup by her side. Ash on the other hand was watching time pass by throwing pebbles into the lake.

"Ash?" this made the young trainer to look to where his voice was called. "No training? Your gym battle is only in a few days. Why are you wasting your time doing this?"

"I know right?" He snickered and scratched the back of his head. "I think I'm too tried today." Sapphire gazed at Ash in confusion.

"Wow, your turning down the chance to train. That's sounds very unusual coming from you."

"Well...there is something in my mind. Maybe I need some sleep to get it out." Ash sighed and quickly sat onto the ground. He sighed once more and took off his hat and laid flat onto the grass.

"It's not about me this time is it?" Sapphire asked arrogantly. Ash shook his head. This concerned Sapphire. She knelt down. "The gym battle?" Sapphire was wrong once more.

"Do you remember Drew?" Silence overcame them both. "Anyway he is a rival of yours."

"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?" She questioned. "Is he meant to be special to me?"

"He was before you forgot about yourself." Ash smiled but Sapphire felt like he was just putting one on to make her happy and assured he was okay. "Before you came here he was your boyfriend."

Then time stood still.

Literally.

Like a water paint painting, the colours melted from the canvas like her surrounds. The warm sun's ray began to fade to be replaced by a soft cold autumn breeze. The tall wild green grass was ripped off by dry rocks and gravel. The lake shrunk into a small pond outlined with small rocks. The green trees turned into shades of red, orange and yellow. And right behind her was a giant bell tower.

_"What game is this?" _Sapphire asked herself.

"You alright May?" Sapphire turned around and noticed a young boy with green hair. They looked the same age and his eyes just attracted her to him. "You have been staring at that bell tower for a long time." Sapphire didn't want to respond but her lips did without her command.

"I've just dreamed about this place as a child. To finally be here, I never thought I could do that on my own." Soon she felt warm soft palms grabbed her hand and held it tight.

"You're never on your own May." Drew spoke. He pulled the young brunette closer to him. "And I'll make sure of it."

"What are you on about Drew?" Drew wrapped his arms around Sapphire quickly.

"I want to be yours May. Your one and only so you won't have to be on your own anymore. I'll stay by your side and I'll never let you go. I love you May, that is what I'm trying to say to you."

_"Why did it hurt so much when he said that to me?"_

And time returned.

Literally.

The lake, the giant bell tower and the relaxing trees faded and she returned to the warm summer days back on Sinnoh. She saw Ash continue to talk to her like she never saw what she did. He stopped and closed his eyes as Sapphire watched the diamond shine the lake showed when the sun's light crashed on it.

_"Is this the man Celebi is trying to tell me?" _the soft summer breeze began to play with her hair. _"Is this the man that I will love while I'm in this world?" _she brushed her hair behind her ear and glanced at Ash. She noticed that the young trainer was already asleep.

Sapphire laid on her stomach and watch Ash sleep. She reached out for his hair and ran her fingers through his hair and then ran the back of her fingers down his cheek. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"No, I refuse." Sapphire looked up and continued to look at Ash. "Because I already found the man Celebi spoke of."

_"I see you're getting along with Ash quite well." _ Sapphire jumped when she heard a voice talking to her. She quickly lay off Ash. _"You don't have to go all denying now May."_

"It's not like that." Sapphire tried to explain but Celebi's mind was made up.

_"I'm happy to see your enjoying your new life May, it makes me really happy. I know thats what the former May would have wanted." _Sapphire was lost with Celebi's words.

"The old May would have wanted?" Celebi nodded.

_"The day of the accident, truth is that May died on that ship. She got hit so hard in the head it caused major internal bleeding and also a wound that made her bleed really badly. I came to her and asked the same thing I did to you but she refused..." _Celebi continued to explain.

_"It's alright Celebi. I'm happy to die like this." The bloody brunette smiled. _

_ Her body was all curled up as a small puddle of bloody began to form, dripping from the back of her hair. She placed her hand behind her head and felt a thick red liquid had masked her hand. May tried to smile and tried to think it was just a dream but the pain stopped her from doing so._

_"You don't deserve to die. You have such a wonderful life ahead of you, trust me; I've seen it for myself!" May shook her head barely. _

_"That's going to have to change now, right?" the young girl smirked. _

_"Let me take you back in time at least! So you could delay your trip back to Johto. Do you have any idea how they will react when they find out your dead! May!" Celebi grabbed May's bloody hands. "You don't have to die like this!"_

_"I know the options." She spoke. "But there's no point heading back to Johto. Ever since I left Ash I haven't been myself, I hardly won any contests and the Johto grand festival is coming closer. I will have no time to get two ribbons, I'll be lucky if I get even one." Celebi saw the young coordinator starting to shed tears. _

_"Then I'll transport you back to the time before you left to Johto. You could travel with Ash to Sinnoh. Don't you dare do this to yourself!" Celebi screamed. _

_"Please stop." May spoke softly. She raised her hand and placed her hands on Celebi's cheek. "Thank you but I don't regret anything. At least I got to see Ash before I go." May's hand dropped from Celebi's cheek to the ground. Celebi watched as May stared as her eyes began to close._

_"Why do you want to die May? You have a chance to redo everything. I can help you change history." May snickered but just barely._

_"If I do that I won't be able to remember all the times I spent in Johto, the times with my family, and my wonderful time here with Ash and meet Dawn. I don't want to lose that. At least when I die I'll have them forever and nobody will be able to take them from me..." _

_ And her eyes closed for the final time._

_ And so did her dreams._

_"I watched that funeral; I watched how they all reacted, especially Ash and how they bared the news. Her death spun everyone off. Everyone wasn't themselves. Ash kept blaming himself for her death and just lost the interest in pokemon battles. Brock and Dawn eventually moved on but the way you looked in their eyes. They were still in pain. I went deeper into the future and well...it's not very bright for Ash or anyone really. Sure they are rich, powerful and have their own families now but to lose May like that. She was just an innocent victim with a giant goal that was so easily taken from her." _ Sapphire looked back at Ash. _"Now that you know Ash, do you really want to see him in that state? Do you want to be the reason his life goes to waste?" _

"Of course not!" Sapphire remarked. "He doesn't deserve anything bad to him."

_"I'm glad you think like that." _Celebi spoke in a more cheerful manner.

"Celebi." Sapphire asked. "I had a flashback, well May's one anyway. I think it was at Bell Tower in Johto. It was where Drew confessed to me that he loved me."

_"Looks like your becoming more May then I thought." _This caused Sapphire to turn her attention straight to the grass type. _"You want to know what I mean." _Celebi giggled before adding. _"The more you accept that you're May the more of the old May's memories will return to you."_

"That means I can start to understand who I use to be?" Celebi nodded.

_"Isn't that what you want?" _Sapphire sat up and embraced herself as Celebi faded from her. Tears soon began to run down her cheeks.

"It's what I use to want..."

* * *

><p>Nothing much had changed or happened since they had arrived. Only the sky's colour changed from the warm clear blue to a dark navy blue. A blanket of stars began to show up one by one. Sapphire really didn't move from the lake, it felt like it was peace to her. What had happened to her was too much to bear for her in just one day.<p>

The first fragment of May's memories.

Drew.

His confession.

And Ash.

She untied her green bandana and placed it beside her shoes and black socks as she dipped her feet into the lake. Her sapphire eyes watched as the full moon emerged from behind the dark grey night clouds. She stretched her arms high up into the sky as she removed her gloves and rubbed her hands and roughly ran her fingers through her hair. Her thoughts began to remind her of her conversation with Celebi earlier. She couldn't remove the fact that May chose to die rather than accept the offer of new life or to at least change her old one.

She unzipped her orange vest slowly as she continued to think of Celebi. Why didn't Celebi ask her if she could bring her back in time, before she met Ruby? Or even before he ran away from her, if she did that she could have avoided watching Ruby escape from her and her dying in such pain.

But if she did that she wouldn't know how little she meant to Ruby. He always tried to deny his feelings to her. Perhaps the truth was there were no feelings for her and he was just playing with her.

"Then what about what we shared? She softly mumbled as she straightened out her black singlet before slipping into the lake. _"Surly he couldn't act all of that...could he?" _

She rose from underneath the lake and emerged from the lake's surface. She rubbed the water from her face before opening her eyes once more before getting greeted by her own reflection. She never noticed how different she looked with her hair down straight. She looked like a different person, a more...beautiful woman. She punched her own reflection so ripples from the lake would distort the image. She placed her hands underneath the water and cupped some of the lake's water in her hands. Even though it was small she still could see that mysterious beautiful woman.

"Now that I'm on the road of recollecting May's memories what will happen to my old ones? Will they be taken away from me or will I have to live with the burden of two lives?" Sapphire splashed the water onto her face. But even that didn't wake her up. She slowly began to descend underwater. _"Am I ready for this?" _Sapphire rose once more and shook her head before wiping her face once more.

She stretched out her hand and looked at her ring; it shined just as bright as the moon. The emeralds glittered as long the moon's glow was on it. This little piece of jewellery was what kept her as 'May'. It hid her own true self. Even though she looked strictly just like her counterpart, nobody would recognise her when she would remove the ring.

Her eyes met with the moon once more and admired its glory and its beauty. Sapphire sighed and splashed more water onto her face. The brunette closed her eyes and wrapped herself and began to sing a soft melody. The tone was sweet and so meaningful; the melody pulled anyone's heartstrings when it was heard. The notes were close to one another; none where too flat or pitchy. Everything blended perfectly.

She continued to sing the sweet melody. As long there was nobody that could hear her she continued on until the sweet heavenly music was over. Knowing that there was nobody around made her confident to sing the song she would sing when she alone and confused.

Little to Sapphire's knowledge somebody was listening to her sweet melody. He continued to watch her move her lips as she sang, gazed at her sudden beauty and her emotions she gave as she opened her glittering and shining eyes.

That was the first day he fell for her.


	4. Day Four:

This chapter is rather more romantic that i thought of. Damn, i blame the songs I'm listening. _I'll Be Loving You Forever_ and_ You_. Yup, classic love songs there. XD

To be honest the way things work out in this chapter is actually not meant to happen. I was saving it for later but i felt like it would work better like this. so i shall end this little blog with a few lines from _'You'_. It works so well with this chapter or...maybe the whole story? Lol, theme song much? XD

_You give me hope,_ _The strength, the will to keep on;_ _No one else can make me feel this way_ a_nd only you_ c_an bring out all the best I can do._

_You pushed me up_ _when I'm about to give up;_ _You're on my side when no one seems to listen._

_It's your smile, y__our face, your lips that I miss, t__hose sweet little eyes that stare at me a__nd make me say, __I'm with you through all the way._

_'Cause it's you_ _who fills the emptiness in me;_ _It changes ev'rything, you see,_ _when I know I've got you with me._

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Four:<span>

The golden jewel slowly began to rise from the cold mountains of Sinnoh. Its warm rays felt weak as the cold morning breeze outnumbered it. Sapphire tugged her blankets and even the three thick layers of blankets she had it was still cold. Her teeth clattered from time to time as she tried to roll herself into a ball. But the cold kept her awake instead of making her go back to sleep. Sapphire sighed and hid under the covers. Even she forced herself to train the wilderness to get stronger she never adapted herself to the cold nights at home.

She grabbed one of her blankets and tossed it over her orange PJ's and wrapped it around her body. Sapphire slowly moved out of Dawn's tent to not wake up the blunette and made her way outside. Sapphire looked around and noticed how white it had become overnight. The sky was plain grey to contrast to the white snow beneath her. Lake Acuity wasn't frozen over yet though.

"Is that Ash?" Sapphire blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Sapphire quickened her pace to the shadow figure and found her guess was right. "Hey!" Sapphire greeted by putting her hands on Ash's shoulders. Ash nearly jumped after. "Why so down?"

"Oh hey." Ash greeted bluntly.

"What's wrong?" Sapphire took a seat down on the cold snow. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Sapphire giggled afterwards. Ash didn't respond. "Are you worried about the gym battle then?"

"A little. I couldn't sleep because I'm wondering who I should use against Candice." Sapphire smiled as she was glad to talk about a topic she knew very well.

"She is an ice type gym leader right?" Ash nodded. "Then use fire, fighting and steel types. You'll do fine!" the brunette winked afterwards. Ash stood from his spot and shoved his hands into his pockets and lay on the trunk of a tree near the lake.

"Do you remember the other day where I mentioned Drew?" Ash continued to watch the sun rise from behind the mountains. Sapphire noticed Ash wasn't in his normal cheery self. "I'm guessing you want to remember him since his your boyfriend..." the trainer sighed. Sapphire rose to her feet and walked beside Ash and laid her back against the same tree Ash was at.

"Well in a way I do." She closed her eyes. "But even if you tell me all about him, my feelings for him won't come back, to me, his nothing but a stranger." Sapphire opened her eyes when she felt weak fingers touching hers. Sapphire could see a small feint smile on Ash's face.

"I'm...glad." she softly spoke. Soon Ash began to walk back to camp.

Sapphire watched Ash walk back to camp to be only greeted by his oldest companion, Pikachu. She studied his smiled when Pikachu ran into his arms and rubbed his cheeks against his master. Both laughed and continued to smile. Their happy moment soon woke up Brock who emerged from the other tent. Dawn soon followed with Piplup yawning before joining Ash and Pikachu.

_"I'm glad his happy again. To see his sad side like that hurts me." _Sapphire rubbed her fingers over her golden ring.

One simple item, a gold ring wrapped with emeralds was able to grant her a totally new life, a life far happier and joyful then her last. She didn't have to stop and chase after Team Aqua like a canine or learn to control the blue orb. Her new world was more peaceful and a world she thought could never exist. Now she was here. Ash saw the young girl alone and raced over to her and smiled.

"Hey, cheer up will ya?" He grabbed her hand. "Come-on, what's the point coming with us if you're not going to hang with us?" Sapphire tightened her grip and held Ash's hand tighter. She nodded as Ash led her to the others.

She would take everything this world would give to her. She had the right to what she had now.

And she refused to lose any of it.

* * *

><p>They all watched from the stands as Ash began his battle for his seventh badge. Zoey, a rival of Dawn's was there to watch since she was friends with the gym leader Candice with Dawn telling her to calm herself down and Brock just watched and observed the battle. When Ash released his Grotel to battle everyone had a shocked reaction all over their faces.<p>

_"What is he doing?" _Sapphire screamed in her mind. _"If Grotel gets hit with a single ice type attacks his gone since Grotel is both ground and grass!" _

But after proving that Grotel, despite the type advantage he easily took out Sneasel with Razor leaf and Rock climb. Sapphire was caught off guard by Ash's surprised win. Sapphire heard Brock mention that Ash had copied a style from his rival Paul. She shrugged his name away since his felt he played no part in May's life. Another win soon came for Ash's favour by using Staraptor against Candice's Medicharm.

But everything went downhill when Gliscor was knocked out by Snover but was quickly avenged by Chimchar. The real challenge laid in Abomasnow. He knocked out Staraptor and Grotel and treated them like paper but eventually Chimchar found its way around the huge pokemon and won the battle.

"You did great out there Ash!" Sapphire cheered. "I didn't know you were such a great trainer!" Ash blushed at her compliment.

"Aw come-on, I'm not that good."

"More like luck was on your side." Everyone was caught off guard by a rude interruption.

"Paul." Dawn greeted. By the tone Dawn used she didn't seem pleased to see the boy. "Ash won because his really good, not by luck!" Paul glared at the girl and simply ignored him.

"I'm here for a battle." Paul spoke straight to the point and surprised Candice.

"Well I would love one but I just finished one with Ash. Maybe tomorrow?" Paul sighed.

"Fine."

_"How rude!" _Sapphire thought to herself. She glanced at Ash and noticed he was affected by Paul's words but shook it away and looked at his newly won badge.

* * *

><p>"How do you deal with someone so arrogant?" Sapphire was still worked up by Paul's sudden appearance.<p>

"It's just who he is May." Dawn sweat dropped. "Does he remind you of someone?" Sapphire looked at Dawn before backing away.

"Yeah...Drew." She looked at the others. "Ash told me a little of him, and I'm starting to remember a little about him."

"Drew, I remember him." Brock replied. "Ash and Drew never got along most of the time. I remember how upset Ash would get every time Drew would insult you."

"Ash fought for me?" Sapphire blurted out in confusion.

"Sounds romantic." Zoey chuckled.

"Sounds like it but Ash's isn't the romantic type. He focuses too much on his pokemon." Brock crossed his arms. "But who knows? Maybe Ash is waiting for the right girl." Dawn giggled after what Brock had just said.

"That's so not like Ash." Zoey laughed as well.

_"Could it be? Ash was in love with May before all of this happened?"_ Sapphire's chains of thought broke when he saw the boy walk out with his Pikachu on his shoulders. Without saying goodbye she tagged along with Ash.

But by the time she reached him he noticed Ash upset at Paul. She guessed it was something he spoke to him again. Even Zoey was upset with Pauls' behaviour and a war could have happened if Dawn didn't hold her back. Sapphire looked back at Ash. He was still upset from Paul. As the others decided it was best to leave Ash alone Sapphire stayed by his side instead.

Ash picked up a rock and through it at the surrounding forest. Ash clenched his fists. Even if Ash didn't say any words Sapphire knew he was very upset.

He needed a friend, somebody to be there by his side and Sapphire knew. For she had been in his place many times before. When she lost her battles nobody was there with her except her pokemon. She was glad they were there but there was something a human friend had that her pokemon could not give her. She didn't want Ash to feel that loneliness.

She reached for his clenched fist and wrapped her hands around it. She felt it soften up and open up and let their fingers intertwined. She placed her other hand on his arm and placed her body near his.

"I'm here." Sapphire muttered under her breath.

"I know." Ash replied. Sapphire was surprised that Ash even heard her. "I really missed you when you went." He looked at her. "But I couldn't ask you to stay because you belonged to somebody else. And you looked really excited to go to Johto." Sapphire embraced Ash's arm.

"That was before. I promise you now I'm not going to go anywhere without you." Sapphire looked back and smiled.

Soon she noticed Ash coming closer to her and until they felt their noses touching one another. He soon placed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

"Thank you." He softly whispered. He opened his eyes and saw Sapphire smiling at him.

She gazed into his auburn eyes. They were so beautiful and she never noticed them fully until now. Growing bolder he placed his lips on hers. The initial surprise of the kiss wore away after Sapphire confirmed to herself what she truly felt towards the man she was kissing. Sapphire tentatively parted her lips to return the kiss before breaking up.

"I'm sorry!" Sapphire spoke. "I didn't mean to do that!" Sapphire tried to run away but noticed Ash was still holding her hand.

"Don't be." Ash's face was much bright red then hers. "It was my fault."

She wanted to run away, hid and in dark corner and hope all of this was a nightmare, but at the same time she wanted to be with him and kiss him over and over again until morning came. But if he only knew he was in love with the wrong woman.

He was in love with May, not Sapphire.

"I wanted to say to you, I wanted to yell it to you but I knew you didn't like me, I could tell by the way Drew gave you roses, the way he would take you on walks alone and how he would come to you after a contest before I could. I had no room in your life anymore."

"_No, don't say that!"_ Sapphire blurted out all of a sudden. _"You're important to me!"_ Sapphire felt the words she has spoken were the words of May. She soon regained control of herself. "That was before Ash...why can't you forget that? I'm here now, isn't that more important now?"

"I can't because you were there. I can't forget you May...but you apparently did."

Tears began to run down her cheeks. How could May do such a thing to him? The more she stayed with Drew, admired him, and loved him the more pain she gave the man that was by her side everyday of her travelling life. And when she left him for Drew and not once did she consulted him if it as alright. And here Ash was pretending everything was alright and continued to love her even though she wasn't his.

And she thought he was the hopeless romantic type.

She rushed to his lips and pressed on them hard as more tears escaped and run down her face. She eventually stopped holding his hands and tossed her arms over his shoulders. The longer their lips were locked the weaker their kiss became. When the kiss was over, Sapphire placed her forehead against Ash; just like what he done earlier. Sapphire continued to cry in front of him.

"You're in love with the wrong girl Ash."

Sapphire ran back into the pokecenter without looking back. She heard Dawn and the others call her name but she ran pass them without a second thought. She ran into her room and slammed the door behind her as if the noise could block her thoughts away. She placed her back on the door with her hands covering her face and hiding her tears.

"I love you, I love you like a damn idiot." Sapphire cried. "I want to be with you but you're in love with May, not me."

_"But isn't that what you want?" _Sapphire recognised the voice that spoke to her.

"I do but his in love with May. He fell in love with everything about her. What right do I have to take what belonged to her?" Celebi flew to Sapphire and took her hands away from her face.

_"Didn't you hear what Ash said? He couldn't love you because you belonged to somebody else. Ash's never belonged to May until now. His yours now." _

"But-" Celebi placed her finger over Sapphire lips.

_"He loves you, isn't that what you want? To be loved by somebody that will be there with you forever? Ash will love you no matter who you are." _The grass type wiped away the brunette's tears away. _"Please, don't make yourself suffer anymore. Here, I'm giving you the man you deserve so stop convincing yourself Ash belonged to your old self because he never did to begin with."_

"...thank...you." Sapphire smiled. Celebi replied with a smile before fading away from her sights.

A knock on the door made Sapphire to wipe her tears away quickly. She rose to her feet and dusted herself. The knocking continued as she faced the closed door. He could hear his voice, saying how sorry he was and he didn't mean to hurt her.

Celebi was right; no matter what happened to her he stayed by her side, starting from the accident to helping her to enjoy contests. He stood by her side even when she pushed him away and refused him.

He stayed because he loved her. And that made her lips form a smile on her face.

Sapphire opened the door and saw Ash fell onto the ground, looking right up to her. Sapphire thought that he must have sat right in front of her door. She smiled that he was willing to make up for his wrongs no matter if it took days or weeks. She laughed and fell to her knees and took Ash's hat off, played with his hair before kissing him lightly on his lips. The small peck caught the boy off guard. Ash sat up and looked at Sapphire in confusion.

"Sorry." The brunette placed Ash's hat back on his head. "I made a mistake when I said what I said before."

"Mistake?" Sapphire nodded.

"But you'll understand it later. But I know for sure, that what I feel for you is no mistake." Ash smiled.

"So that means you like me too?" Sapphire nodded once more. Sapphire stood on her feet and helped Ash onto his feet afterwards. "Thank you." Sapphire shook her head.

"No, thank _you._" Sapphire laughed as Ash watched at her in confusion.

Sapphire smiled. Even though it was a mistake to take the place of the women he loved, May wasn't around to take him away from her. This was one mistake she was happily to take responsibility of. Just as long she was with Ash.


	5. Day Five:

Finallyyy, i can log into my own account again after days of being refused acceptance!

Anyway a new chapter, horah! Now it's time for Franticshipping to take a stand.

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Five:<span>

She folded each piece gently and neatly before placing them into her yellow backpack. She took a sigh of relief and she placed the last of her things into her bag. For the first time since waking up in her new world she was able to wake up happy and looking forward to tomorrow. She smiled as she placed her backpack beside her bed.

"I knew it would be you two!" Dawn cheered. The cheer was so loud Sapphire was surprised no windows broke. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Tell you what?" Sapphire sighed and pretended she knew nothing of the sorts. "I don't know what you're talking about." Sapphire sat on her bed.

"Don't lie to me May, I know it's you and Ash now." Dawn sat beside Sapphire excitedly. "So tell me, how did he tell you?"

"Well what else? We kissed and—" Sapphire was interrupted by a squeal from Dawn.

"You kissed? Now _I'm _jealous." Dawn giggled.

"It was just a kiss..." Soon a knock interrupted the two. Soon both discovered it was Ash.

"Look's whose boyfriend came in." Dawn continued to giggle.

"She's knows?" Sapphire nodded. "Well that explains Brock's sad mood and asking me for love advice. So...awkward." Both girls laugh.

"I'll talk to him." Dawn walked right past Ash before popping her head back into the room. "I'm keeping an eye on you." Dawn pointed to her two eyes and doing the same action to May's before leaving the two with Dawn's cheeky laughter.

Sapphire shrugged her shoulders and went to reach her fanny pack that was on the other side of the bed. She turned around and reached for it before having her eyes covered by a pair of hands. Sapphire giggled.

"What now?"

"Why don't we celebrate? The two of us at town, a bowl of ramen sounds nice?" Sapphire took Ash's hands away from her eyes. Ash soon wrapped his arms around her. Sapphire smiled and turned around while still in his arms to face him.

"But don't you have a battle with Paul today?" Sapphire asked. "If you lose I don't want to be the reason of your lost." Ash laughed. "Hey don't laugh at my concern for you!" Sapphire crossed her arms.

"If I lose it will be my entire fault, you won't play any part of it. I just thought it would nice to take a break from training and have lunch with you."

"Alright, but not for too long."

It was still snowing and they could hear the crunch of their footsteps made every time they would take a step. The sky was painted grey as more snowflakes fell towards them. Despite the cold weather there were many other trainers and coordinators training their pokemon. The couple soon reached the restaurant Ash had told Sapphire earlier.

Sapphire smiled as soon Ash arrived with their meal. Normally a bowl wouldn't last five minutes in front of her but she was too distracted accepting that she had found the man Celebi had promised for her. As Sapphire was finishing her meal something caught her eyes. She suddenly got up and left Ash in curiosity. He thought she went to the ladies room but he soon followed after her.

At first the pace wasn't fast but it got quicker and quicker when she noticed the shadow figure noticing her presents. Sapphire began to run after it.

_"Why am I chasing this thing? Why am I so determined to follow it?" _

Then it stopped.

Sapphire looked around and noticed the strange figure had led her to an empty snowy field. Not much snow was falling from the sky in the field. Some light peeked through the dull sky and gave the figure a name.

It was a man.

A man she knew very well.

His beanie was white with a green trim and the bottom. His top had a black 'Y' on his chest with matching sleeves and collar. But what made him more recognizable wasn't his outfit but his soft glazing ruby eyes. He would look at her like he always did. And his soft smile made her heart melt.

_"No...no...NO!" _Sapphire fell to her knees with her hands over her ears. She refused to listen to anything.

"May!" She felt a man going down to her height and wrapping his arms around her. She dropped her arms and snuggled closer to Ash.

"It's May now hm?" the couple looked up at the boy.

"What did you do to her?" Ash demanded. Sapphire knew how upset Ash would get if anybody would hurt his friends, she knew he would be even more protective know that she was his girlfriend.

"Me? What did you do to her? I go for one second and before I know it she is in the arms of another man!" He yelled.

"May..." Ash looked down at the girl in his arms.

She was so scared, fragile and weak that even Ash had never seen from her before. But this man made her so weak that her tears that she shed at the Kanto Grand Festival were nothing to be compared. He pierced right through her defences and made her so scared she could not look at him in the eye.

Ash held her closer. This was the side of May he didn't want to see, ever again.

"I did nothing to her! I would never hurt May, never!"

"Then if you didn't then why is she with you? Give Sapphire back." He demanded. Ash looked back at the brunette.

Sapphire looked up at the man that she loved so dearly. He looked at her with such concern. He could see she was crying, her eyes were red and her cheeks had turned dried.

She didn't want to go back, not when she just accepted her new self. Not when she just learnt how to fall in love once more with the man she believed that would never leave her. No...leaving wasn't a option.

"Just who are you?" Ash asked the boy.

"Brendan Maple, or to Sapphire its Ruby. The joke's over."

Sapphire stood on her own feet after she slowly forced Ash to let her go. She looked at the ring placed on her finger before looking at Ruby.

"I don't care how you got to me but remember this Ruby...It's May!" She wrapped her fingers around her ring.

"What has this world done to you?" He walked closer to her but she backed away.

"It opened my eyes, showed me the truth." She gritted her teeth. "I now know who you really are! You're nothing but a selfish, hard-headed fool that I thought loved me for who I was but I was so wrong." Sapphire held back her tears. "I thought I was safe when I was given a second chance to live. I've only been here for a few days but they are the happiest days of my life! And now that your here...damn, how did you even come here!"

"When I came back for you with some help your body...was gone. I knew that if I left, you would take it personally. Do you think I wanted to leave you like that? Really Sapphire?"

"Then you should have taken that as a sign that I've left you; left you for somebody that you can never be." Sapphire ran into Ash's arms. "Time has moved on Ruby."

Even in the mist of confusion Ash laid in, all he really needed to know was that May picked him over the mysterious man that caused her so much pain. He didn't care if he wasn't her first boyfriend, what mattered was that he was her last and will be the one that will be by her side until they turn old.

The cold started to get to her that she soon lost her balance to only be caught into Ash's embrace. What happened next was out of her hands and into Ash's.

Ash knew that Sapphire disliked this man so much but it was no reason to start a war. Ash sighed and carried the fainted girl in his arms and glared at Ruby.

"Don't come near her. I hope this is the last time I see you." And he turned his back and saw Ruby with his right hand on his waist, looking unconvinced by Ash's words.

"Don't count on it."

* * *

><p>She felt a soft tingle moving gently across her cheeks. It slowly made her eyes flicker before realising where she was. She was back in the pokecenter with Pikachu by her side. The little mouse ran into her arms and rubbed his cheeks against hers. Sapphire glanced at the time and noticed it was in the middle of the afternoon, the battle between Ash and Paul would have already started. Sapphire panicked and turned to Pikachu.<p>

"Why are you here? And why am I?"

"Pi pika-chu!" Pikachu tried to explain.

"We have no time for this!" Sapphire grabbed the little mouse into her arms and raced outside.

But she woke up a little too late.

The normally cheerful Dawn was dead quiet and Brock walked right pass Nurse Joy without falling head over heels for her. Something was up and Sapphire was determined to find out. Sapphire ran to Dawn while holding Pikachu in her arms.

"Dawn...what happened?" Dawn looked away before looking back at her friend.

"Ash lost." She spoke, straight to the point. She held her pokeball in her hands. Mamoswine wasn't strong enough." She held her pokemon tighter.

"But how did Mamoswine get into the battle?"

"Mamoswine took Pikachu's place in the battle. He wanted Pikachu to look after you while you were out." Brock replied for Dawn. "He was so determined for Pikachu to stay by your side."

"What? How could Ash-?" Sapphire looked down at Ash's oldest companion. "Where is he? I need to talk to him!" Brock placed his hands on her shoulders and gave a shake of the head to stop her in her tracks. Sapphire shook him off and chased after Ash. Dawn looked as the brunette chased after the man she loved and followed them both.

"Something's...different." the breeder muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>"Ash!" Sapphire yelled. "Ash!"<p>

"He isn't here." Sapphire quickly turned to see it was no other but Ruby.

"Again..." Sapphire muttered with anger. "...Go. Away." Sapphire bitterly stated.

"I'm not going anywhere without Sapphire." Pikachu looked up at the trainer that held him in their arms. "I'm not going to lose you again."

Again Sapphire's mind began to play games on her.

"You're not real. You have to be, Celebi told me everyone that I knew in my old world don't live in this one. So...why are you here?"

"Just like you, I took place of my parallel self. I died that day as well."

Pikachu slid out of Sapphire grasp after it loosened after Ruby's revealing shock and stood in the middle of the two. His cheeks sparked electricity to intimidate the trainer but it showed no effect from it.

"Remember that day? Back in Petalburg forest? There was a storm that day and you as usual went out to find a child's pokemon that went into the forest. I held your hand saying not to go but you still went. So I followed you..."

"...as I was in the forest I noticed you were following me. We fought and then one of the trees began to fall. So I pushed you out of the way to save you...and the tree got me instead of you."

"I watched you starting to bleed, I called your name but you didn't respond. So I went to get help and when I came back...you were gone. And how did I die? I don't think you really want me to stay any longer to tell you that."

Tears began to form in her eyes but wiped them away as soon she felt them running down her cheeks. Ruby walked towards but this time she didn't back away. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. Sapphire soon noticed what was going to happen to her and pushed Ruby far from her.

"I can't...I won't... no, not to Ash...never!" She screamed. "I'm so sorry but...Ash is the one I love now Ruby...what happened to us before...is over."

"But that doesn't change what you feel for me. Sapphire please...let's go back to our world. The world where we are meant to be together."

He reached out his hand to her. Pikachu who still stood firm in his place slowly gave up when she saw Sapphire walked towards him and reaching out for Ruby's hand. But soon found it in her to hold back. She sighed and picked up Pikachu into her arms.

"That world no longer exists for me because I'm May Maple. The future Top coordinator and girlfriend of Ash Ketchum."

"Sapph—May, why did you choose this world over our old one?" Sapphire smiled.

"Because I have everything I thought I could never have before. I have a loving family, I have such wonderful and caring pokemon, I have great friends, and it's so peaceful here." Sapphire turned around to face Ruby. "Don't get me wrong, I miss seeing Red's cheeky face and Silver's gloomy attitude but I feel like I'm getting the same thing in this world. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything here." Sapphire dropped Pikachu onto the ground and told the pokemon to find Ash. Sapphire stood up and faced Ruby once more. "I'm not missing out on anything."

Ruby grabbed both of her hands and held it near his heart. He held her hands tight and placed his forehead against her. He slowly closed his eyes as Sapphire noticed he was crying. Sapphire couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

Ruby was always the softer one between them. When they were young he would always protect her as she hid behind him and shaking like there was an earthquake underneath them. When they parted she promised to get stronger, for the both of them. When they met again he thought she was just another rough pokemon he wanted to catch. She got so mad back then, Sapphire laughed at that too.

As she got stronger and bolder during the years they were apart, Ruby on the other hand became softer and shyer. When they discovered that they knew each other since they were children she nearly couldn't believe it. But she loved him either way.

But that was then, this is now.

"I don't want to let you go." Ruby opened his eyes and saw Sapphire smiling at him, softly.

"I know, I know." Ruby smiled and looked at the ring that kept Sapphire, 'May'

"If you get tired of this world, if you want to go home come back alright?" Sapphire nodded.

Both broke away as Ruby walked away from the scene. He didn't want too; he worked so hard to find her to only lose her again. But he knew that he would see her again, he knew he would see his Sapphire once more.

She took in a breath before turning to face Dawn with Pikachu on her shoulder. Dawn had a mixed reaction. There was shock, disbelief and anger and many more but there were none that were more oblivious than the other. In the end result Dawn just began to cry right in front of her best friend.

"May...who is he? Why did he keep calling you Sapphire?"

Sapphire looked at her ring. Should she even think about it? Should she remove her ring? She looked back at her good friend and her lips began to move.

"That's who I am Dawn."


	6. Day Six:

I hate this chapter (in a good way i mean...if that makes any sense. o.o) anyway enjoy...i hope?

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Six:<span>

She walked across the grassy fields of Snowpoint with her hands behind her back as she looked around her. It was a sunny day in Snowpoint and not much snow could be found around the area. She had been looking for somebody important; somebody dear to her. Soon Sapphire found what she had been looking for. She slowed her pace and took a seat beside him. He lifted the hard cover of his cap with his hand and when she saw who it was he covered his face once more. Sapphire noticed this.

"Hey cheer up will ya?" Sapphire grinned. Ash noticed his girl's smile and turned his back on her. This only confirmed to Sapphire that Ash was so depressed that he didn't even smile back at her.

Sapphire lay onto her stomach while Ash still on his side, facing away from her. She shoved herself closer to him until she could put her head on Ash's side rib. Ash looked over his shoulder and saw Sapphire's head on his side rib, making a frowned face; imitating Ash. Ash turned to face Sapphire which caused the brunette to backtrack. She smiled and sat down.

"May please...not now." But the young coordinator didn't listen. Sapphire pressed against Ash's chest which caused him to fall onto his back with Sapphire on top, smiling. "May..."

"You need to get out of this slump! This isn't you!" Ash looked away from her eyes. Sapphire grabbed Ash's head and made him stare back into her eyes. "You're not the type to run away are you?" Ash didn't reply so Sapphire was left to her last resort. A simple but yet deep kiss on the lips.

"May...I..." The brunette got up to her knees and placed her hands on her waist.

"Is that all your going to say? My name?"

"May." Another voice called the girl's name. Sapphire turned around. It was Dawn. Sapphire looked back at Ash and notice that her presence still didn't change Ash's mood. She sighed and walked to her good friend. "Did anything change?" Sapphire shook her head.

"Nothing sadly." Sapphire scratched the back of her head. "Guess there are times where Ash needs time alone."

"So what should I call you? Sapphire or May?" Sapphire laughed.

"May please. Sapphire is a name I rather forget." Both girls looked and saw that it was Pikachu's turn to sit by Ash's side. Both girls decided to talk a walk, just the two of them.

It was the day after Ash's battle, the day after Sapphire ran back to her old lover; Ruby. It also was the day after that Sapphire told who she really was.

* * *

><p><em>"So that is what you called each other when you guys where young?" Sapphire nodded.<em>

_"Yeah, we were childhood friends back when we were young. We gave each other nicknames named after gems because that's the colour of our eyes. His are Ruby while mine are Sapphire." Sapphire pointed to her eyes. Sapphire turned around and saw a young man underneath a tree. A tree that was only a few feet away from her and Dawn. _

_ It was Ruby. _

_"So was he your first love?" This caught Sapphire's attention away from the boy and to Dawn. Sapphire scratched her cheek as they flushed red at Dawn's question. Dawn leaned closer. "Come-on, you can tell me, right?" Sapphire looked back at the boy under the tree._

_"Yes. But that feeling is long gone now." She spoke while staring back at Ruby._

_Ruby looked at her with his dashing eyes and warm smile. She didn't know what that smile meant or why he even put up such an expression. Maybe, it was to convince her that he was happy for her, or pretend to be. Was it a sign that he would finally let her go or was it only temporarily? Sapphire couldn't come up with a decent or convincing answer. _

_But one thing was for sure. _

_He was coming back._

_Coming back for her. _

* * *

><p>"Look." Dawn pointed at Ruby. "His back," Dawn noticed how lost Sapphire had become in her thoughts. "I'll let you two talk, I'm going to see Brock and see if we can cheer Ash back to his cheery self." Sapphire looked over her shoulder and to her friend.<p>

"That would be wonderful." She softly smirked. The bluenette nodded and left the young coordinator alone.

As Dawn made her way back she noticed how dark the clouds had become. She had forgotten that it would rain today. She sighed.

It was such a horrible day for it to rain.

* * *

><p>He was cautious at first but when he knew they were alone and safe he quickly walked up to her. Ruby smiled and went to embrace the girl but Sapphire held him back.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Sapphire shouted. "Why can't you leave me in peace?"

"I tried but I can't. I've spent all this time looking for you; I can't just let you go just like that." This time Ruby managed to wrap his arms around Sapphire. Sapphire tried to push him away but his grip was too tight.

"I've moved on Ruby. Why can't you do the same?" Tears began to rush from her eyes without her noticing. Soon the rain joined in. Sapphire could no longer tell if it was her tears or the rain running down her face.

"I can't. Everything I did was for you or for us." Ruby pulled away and placed his hands tightly on her arms. "Are you just going to throw away everything we worked hard just like that? Just for a man you only know for only one week?" Sapphire finally found it in her to push Ruby away from her.

"Yes, it's only been six days, yes you might say its stupid, foolish and plain desperate but I love him! His different! I know this is true and I know so does Ash!"

"Ash has known 'you' for four years. You, Sapphire have only for six; May has known Ash longer than you. Ash loves May, not you!" Ruby rushed towards Sapphire's lips. "I love you Sapphire. I love you for who you are. As Sapphire, not May!"

And in the corner of her blue sapphire eyes saw a man in total shock. His eyes hidden behind his cap. He was all alone and soaked. Sapphire pushed Ruby away from her once more and ran to Ash who was only a few feet away from them. But the closer Sapphire ran to Ash the more steps he would take backwards. Ash took off his cap in frustration and glared at Sapphire.

"I knew it!" He spat. "Damn it!" Sapphire couldn't find any words to reply back to him. What kind of words could she reply with? "I thought it was just part of the amnesia but this confirms it all. You're not May!"

Sapphire could feel her tears running down her cheeks. She could a difference now. Her tears were more painful compared to the empty tiny vapours of water running down from the sky.

"I'm sorry Ash..." Sapphire began. Ash sighed and ran his fingers through his fringe. "I wanted to tell you but-"

"But what?" He interrupted. "You wanted to play with my feelings first? Then tell me? Then head off with your loving boyfriend? Is that it?" Ash yelled as he tried to keep himself calm. Sapphire cried even more and grasped Ash's black vest. Showing she didn't want to let him go.

"No Ash. I didn't want to hurt you! I never wanted too!" Sapphire placed her head on Ash's torso.

"Good job so far." He muttered. Sapphire looked up and saw he was crying as well but looked away when Sapphire noticed.

"Ash please." Ash began to pull Sapphire away from him.

She could feel by the way he held her wrists that he was in pain. Even if she wasn't the girl he thought she was, Ash hated the idea of letting her go. It was as if he had fallen for her, Sapphire than May. He fell in love with everything Sapphire enjoyed and loved. But his feelings began and grew for May; she just helped it reach its final stages.

She was nothing but an illusion.

A copy.

A double.

A replacement.

"Ash please!" Ash finally found the courage to pull Sapphire's grasp from his vest. He felt like he had pulled his own heart from his chest. The pain was unbearable.

"Go home...Sapphire." Ash managed to speak. "Go. Home."

Ash picked up his cap and held it in his hands and left Sapphire all alone. She wrapped her own arms around her and stopped when she felt Ruby's embrace around her. She fell into his arms and continued to cry there until she no longer could. He wanted to punish himself that he has to make her cry like that, he wanted him to be the one to hold her when she was down. He wanted to be the one man to be by her side when she was happy.

But instead he was the one who did all the opposites.

To leave her like that...was the most painful thing Ash had ever done in his life.

* * *

><p>He slammed the door behind him and knocked the back of his head against the door multiple times before he stopped. He continued to cry like a little child, lost in a shopping mall. He clutched his fists and slammed them against the back of the door this time around.<p>

"Ash, Ash!" He heard his friends calling his name multiple times.

He could hear all his friends calling his name. He remember the woman who thought him the ropes of being a trainer; Misty. She was a roughneck tomboy and was hard to get along. She stalked him so he could pay her back for her burnt bike but as they travelled that didn't become her reason to follow him anymore.

She told him once, before she left to become the gym leader of Cerulean Gym she said she loved him. She was even crying when she said those three words to him. He had a blank expression when Misty told him those words. She was so upset that she didn't wait any longer and ran from him with Togepi in her arms.

What could a twelve boy say to something back then? He was so absorbed into his dream that he didn't even see the most closet person beside him every day, helping him out, being there even when he didn't want her. Ash felt his body slide down against the back door and onto the floor.

"I finally understand you Misty."

When he was with another woman her face with by covered in red and steam would come out of her ears. She would quickly run up to them as if she had just used agility over and over again. She would tear them apart and keep him with her at all times. And afterwards act like her sudden high temper had never happened.

"I'm so sorry; I hurt you so much back then."

When he gazed at Misty with confusion, he didn't know why. Misty found it to be something more...to Ash he was just shocked to see Misty in some form of female attire.

Just like when May opened her eyes for the first time in the hospital he was shocked to see she was awake and well. Just like when he heard May was with Drew he ran just like Misty did. She refused to accept his words, just like he did when May made that call. To say she was dating Drew. He gave a grin and was 'happy' for them both. When the show was over Ash wanted to kill himself. He was too late.

And just like when Misty dragged him away from his female friends he did the same with May, before and after. He pulled and held onto her when Ruby was near. He shielded her from the insults from Drew back in the early days. It was a self conscience thing at first but it became a habit.

A habit to protect the people he cared for; for the people he loved.

"Now I understand." He whispered.

"Ash, open this door!" Dawn screamed. The young trainer could hear Piplup and Pikachu calling his name in their language. But he didn't listen.

"We can help you deal with you lost with Paul Ash!" Brock added. "You don't have to go through this alone."

And his friends had a habit to look after him. He never thought he would wish for a moment that they didn't. His body slowly slid to the left which gave his friend the chance to open the door and rush themselves in. Dawn ran to him first and couldn't believe that Ash would let him get so wet. Dawn softly shook him, hoping it would wake the boy up and return him to his senses but it didn't seem to change anything.

"Why did you do this to yourself?" Ash looked up to Dawn and spoke no words back to her. "Don't ever go through things by yourself again? Okay?" Ash chuckled and smirked.

"That sounds like something _she_ would say." This only made Dawn more upset towards him.

"Why aren't you taking this seriously?" She screamed. "Why don't you take me seriously?" Brock soon placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Dawn released her grip after realising her mistakes. Pikachu ran to his trainer's side and placed his paws on his arms.

"Pikaaa..." he spoke. He felt Pikachu was calling his name.

"I'm fine, honest." Ash tried to pull a smile. Dawn felt water in her eyes.

"Fine?" She slammed her palms onto the carpet. "You're soaking wet, cold and you can barely stand on your own two feet! Nobody who is 'fine' is in your type of condition!" Ash felt he was now speaking with his mother. Dawn noticed his. "It's because I'm not May, that's why you're not listening to a word I say. Isn't it?"

"May's dead." Silence struck the room. "She was dead ever since '_she' _woke up from her coma." Ash tried to hold back his tears but couldn't in his weak condition. Ash closed his eyes. "And even after what happens, I'll still love her. Even if she isn't who I thought she was. Nothing will change."

"Brock?" the breeder looked at Dawn after she spoke his name. "Can you get Nurse Joy and ask for some help and new clothes? I don't think Ash will be able to manage it on his own."

"On my way. Try not to do anything without me alright?" the coordinator nodded and waited until Brock left the room. Piplup and Pikachu followed Brock just in case he needed the extra help.

She stroked his wet hair away from his eyes and took his wet red cap off. She reached for his hands and pulled off his fingerless gloves off. Next followed his wet vest and noticed grip marks around the chest area. Dawn placed his vest down with the others and moved herself closer to the boy's face and ran her fingers down his cheeks. She felt how dried they had become after crying so much.

She placed both of her hands on his cheeks and slowly and softly placed her lips onto his. She then fixed his hair once more.

"If I only knew this would have happen..." she ran her fingers through Ash's hair. "...Then I wouldn't have let you go." She ran the back of her fingers down his cheeks. "I've been given a second chance. This time I won't make the same mistake twice. I'm never going to let you go."


	7. Day Seven:

Fanfiction hates me! I keep having trouble logging in. When i do log in, i get a error saying to refresh the page, do it again, same result. *sigh*

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Seven:<span>

_Do you remember how I smiled at you every time you were by my side? I remember that I couldn't stop smiling, I couldn't stop laughing. I think my heart would explode if it was even possible. _

_ Do you remember how many times I would run to you when I was down? If you were a sponge you would be dripping wet from my tears. But not once did I see you turn me away or push my away. You didn't complain how long I would be crying in your arms. _

_ And I loved you for that. _

_ But I cannot give the love you want Ash. Yes, I know you love me. I can tell by the way you looked at me. The way you would hold me in your arms and the way you would smile at me. _

_ Ash, I can't thank you enough. But I can't let you keep on clinging on hope that we could ever be together. Please, I'm sorry if I can only tell you these words of empty texts. I promise the next time we meet, I will keep saying sorry and sorry to you over and over again. I will never get tried; just you got never tried of accepting my tears._

_ ~May_

He gazed at the paper he had received for her, May. It was the letter she had left before heading to the Johto grand festival. Nobody knew about the letter and he liked it this way. He had read the words over and over again, but still he couldn't memories a single one. Only when he began to read it did he remember them and remember everything he had shared with May.

As soon he heard the rattling of the doorknob Ash roughly placed the letter back into his bag. Dawn soon entered into the room.

"Hey." Dawn greeted as she closed the door behind her. "You alright?" Ash nodded. "So where is May? Did she find her own way now?" Ash looked away. Dawn knew Ash was avoiding the question. "Did…something happen between you two?" Ash tossed his sheets off him and stood up but Dawn quickly grabbed him by the hand. "Why can't you talk to me the way you talk to her?"

"Easy." Ash escaped Dawn's grasp. "Your not May."

Dawn watched as Ash walked out of the room and leaving her all alone. Dawn reached out for the pillow he laid his head on and embraced it as if it was a toy. Dawn buried her face before rising once more.

"Just because I'm not May doesn't mean I don't love you just as much as she did."

And in the corner of the room laid in darkness was Celebi. Celebi couldn't find any words expect for one last resort.

* * *

><p>It wasn't Sapphire's sudden confrontation that troubled him. It was a dream, a dream that felt like it was the real truth. The truth that should of happened.<p>

May died on the ship that was heading back to Johto.

She wasn't meant to live, Celebi offered her new life but she refused. She would rather live in the happiness of the past than start over. This was his dream, but he somewhat felt it was true. He could hear May's voice telling him to believe what he was seeing.

He covered his face with his hands. He never wanted this to happen. He didn't care if she ended up with him; all he wanted to do was to tell her. That was all he ever wanted. But he never got the chance.

Then that was when Sapphire came into his life.

So did he fall in love with May or Sapphire?

He took his hands away and saw thick fog have covered the red carpet on the halls on the pokemon center. Soon the simple pale yellow painted walls of the hall began to fade behind the fog. Ash gazed at the entrance where the fog was coming from. A young woman in a red silk dress, the length reaching to her feet came walking towards him.

"I think I finally lost it." Ash thought to himself. The woman smiled.

_"No you haven't."_ she giggled. _"It's me, May. The one you remember." _she ran to grasp his hand but Ash looked away. _"Please believe me, just like the truth I showed you in your dream."_

"Why are you here?" Ash asked without looking at May.

_"To help you of course. Just like use to do to me."_ May placed her hand on her cheek and tried to make him look at her but Ash stood strong.

"So you're seeing my feelings as a giant debt?" Ash backtracked. May shook her head.

_"I want to do this because I want to! Ash please."_

"But you're gone. What else can you do than speak to me?" Ash turned around and lifted his arms. "And how do I know if this isn't another of your 'dreams?'" May looked away. May walked and held Ash's hands as tight as she could.

_"Don't walk away from me like I did to you."_ Ash turned to face May for the first time since she departed back to Johto.

She was so beautiful. She was older compared to Sapphire. Her body was slimmer, more feminine. Her hair was much longer and it shined every time the sun would crash into it. Her smile was so comforting to look at and her eyes, continued to shine.

_"You told me to fight and never turn down what I believe in but that is what I did when it came to us."_ May continued to hold onto Ash's hands. Ash tried to pull away but May refused. _"Don't walk away from me!" _May cried. _"I'm sorry I gave up."_

"I understand if you gave up. Loving me isn't easy, more like impossible." May smiled.

_"But nothing's changed between us Ash?"_ Ash looked at May and placed his left hand on her cheek.

"Why did you die on me?" Ash started a new topic. "Why didn't you accept what Celebi offered you?" May chuckled.

_"Because when I die, at least I can remember everything we shared. I can't imagine a life without you. You taught me how to like pokemon and contests. They are such a huge part of my life now."_ Ash raced to grabbed both of May's hands.

"But that doesn't matter. I could be with you, Dawn, Brock and everyone. Don't you want to see them again?" May nodded.

_"But to see them go through the pain of forgetting them was too painful to imagine so…I accepted the truth." _

_"Hey Ash." Sapphire asked. Ash glanced over his shoulder and saw it was his travelling companion, May. "Can I tell you a story?" _

_"Sure, why not?" Ash tapped the chair beside him. _

_ It was another late night in Snowpoint. Both friends couldn't sleep after Ash's exciting win against Candice. It was the night that they admitted what they felt for one another. Both couldn't wipe their smiles away. _

_"About the accident, I think I was meant to die." Sapphire placed her hands over her heart. "But then I saw Celebi come up to me and asked for new life, I think it was because of her than I'm here."_

_"No, don't say that." Ash spoke. "You're here because your strong, it just shows how much you wanted to live." Sapphire smiled. _

_"If you only knew how wrong you are with that Ash." Sapphire faintly smiled. "I never wanted to be here in the first place because there is somebody else who deserves it more." _

_ She rose from her chair and walked back to her room. Ash looked back at the full moon that light up the room. He sighed. _

_"I don't understand women."_

"But she isn't you." May grabbed Ash's hands and placed them over his heart.

_"Sapphire and I are more alike than you think."_ the brunette's body started to fade. _"Yes, she might not have my memories, our memories but that doesn't change the fact that 'I' love you." _Tears started to run down her face.

Ash pulled May's arm and to his body and held her close. May smiled as more tears ran down her face. He was happy, he was finally able to hear form her lips that she loved him. He couldn't stop smiling.

_"Just like before, you sure know how to make a girl feel safe Ash."_ Ash smiled and closed his eyes.

"I'll never get tried doing it May." May chuckled.

_"I figured that."_ Ash continued to hold her in his arms. _"Promise you won't let me go again? I'm still here, please catch me and take me home." _Ash closed his eyes.

And when he opened them once more the woman he loved was gone and had finally returned home. Ash looked up and smiled.

"I promise. I'll catch you."

* * *

><p>"Sapphire…" He paused. "…he isn't coming back."<p>

Ruby wanted to walk up to her and wrap her arms around her, kiss her and comfort her. But it would only cause her more pain. HE knew she was no longer there, in her heart. Ash had taken it completely. He wanted to take her back - take Sapphire back with him. But even if he could he would of left her heart here. It was Ash that could of soften her into a small fragile child. He waited behind her as Sapphire continued to watch into empty space holding a dear object to her.

The half Terracotta ribbon.

"His coming back…his going to catch me…maybe not here…but he will find me" Ruby glanced at Sapphire in confusion. Sapphire smiled. "Promise we will look for him tomorrow?" Ruby nodded. "Thank you." Sapphire turned and walked back as Ruby continued to watch her.

"As long I can be by your side. That's all that matters to me." Ruby thought. Sapphire spun to face Ruby.

"Hey Ruby, you never told me how you died." Ruby looked away. "Was your death really that…painful?" Ruby glanced up to her.

"Well death isn't exactly a good feeling." He looked up to the sky.

The boy closed his eyes and opened his eyes once more. He spread his arms open wide and let the cold mountain winds pass him by and fell back on the snow. Sapphire walked up to him and looked down on him. She looked up at the sky just like Ruby.

"It was a few months after you death. I had bad heart problems; it started from shortage of breath of chest pains. My family took me to the doctor and said I had a rare heart problem. I took medicines to take the pain away but nothing happened. It just got worse and worse." Ruby continued without noticing he was crying. Sapphire took a seat beside him. "Before I knew it, I was confined in a hospital for three months connected to wires and stuff. I hated waking up to a place like that." Ruby wrapped his arms around himself. "I had a gas mask over my mouth because I was now at a stage where I had a hard time to breathe or even breathe on my own."

Sapphire wiped Ruby's tears away. Ruby looked at Sapphire and blushed. He was embarrassed that he was the one doing the crying. Her smile seemed to tell him to go on and tell his pain to make him feel better.

"I remember seeing my father and mother so tried from crying. They were so weak, weaker than me. I could remember reaching my hand to them and held it as hard as I could. And for the first time in months I could hear myself speak. It was a miracle even to me. But it didn't last long. I couldn't stop crying and saying how much I love my parents over and over again…"

"And that was the end of it." Sapphire conclude. Ruby shook his head.

"My death yes, but the start of my new life, no." Ruby sat up and cupped some snow into his hands. "When I 'woke up' I saw Celebi and her offer. I took it because I didn't want to die like that, so damn weak!" Ruby threw the snow that was in his hands. "So here I am, living as Brendan Birch, helping his father do field research. Honestly I prefer the old days back in the contests."

"I prefer the days where I could take on gyms. Now I'm in contests." Sapphire soon sat up herself. "But they're not that bad, they still have some battling so I can't say I hate them." Sapphire glanced at her ribbon once more. "I think when I first came here, I was afraid of change; to change. But now," Sapphire looked up at the snowy sky. "It's not that scary once you have somebody you love by your side." Ruby nodded.

"This life isn't as bad once you do have somebody you care for by your side." Ruby reached out for Sapphire's hands. "In fact this life can be more enjoyable when you have somebody you love by your side." Sapphire withdrew Ruby's hands.

"Ruby." Ruby nodded.

"Sorry. It just I'm us to be us, us only."

"I know, but that was back then; in our world." Ruby stood up and stretched.

He looked down and held his hand out to Sapphire. Sapphire accepted his help and he dragged her onto her own feet and pushed her into his arms. Sapphire felt her face heat up.

She wanted to run, escape, and yell for help but her heart laid still and quiet. It was as if she missed Ruby's warm embraces and his soft toned voice. This was something she was waiting for ever since she had come here. But was it because she couldn't run because Ruby's embrace and love was similar to Ash? She dug her head into his torso and began to cry as Ruby continued to hold her in his arms.

She missed them both so much. Ruby and Ash.

* * *

><p>He continued to sit outside and felt the wind gently brush across his face. He needed to be alone - after what happened; his dream and May. His mind could not understand if everything he saw felt and heard was real or was this another endless dream of confusion and sorrow?<p>

Dawn saw all of this and took a seat beside her good friend. She looked up and noticed it had begun to snow once more. She cupped her hands and watched a fragile snowflake fall into her hands.

"You alright?" She asked as she dropped the snowflake onto the ground.

"Yeah, just a lot of things on my mind, that's all." Soon Ash noticed it had began to snow once more.

"So when do you think you're going to head to Sunnyshore and get your last badge? The Sinnoh League is going to begin soon."

"I'm not in the mood for a gym battle right now. My head hurts form everything that happened in the last few days." Dawn placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Is it May? Is she bothering you again?" Ash shook his head and faintly smiled.

"Nah," He said cheerfully. "Well I am thinking about her. I'm worried but that comes naturally right?" Dawn nodded.

"I heard you had a fight, or an argument. Is that why she isn't back here yet?" Ash held his hands tightly.

"Yeah." He sighed. He looked at Dawn. "I really want to see her again but i don't know what to say or what to do? Will she still be angry with me? Does she even want to see me again?"

Dawn reached out her hand and placed it on top of Ash's. She warmly smiled at him. Dawn scooted her body until their arms touched. Ash didn't know what to do, he felt like Dawn's body and her closeness froze him in place. He had never had another girl touch him except May and even still he felt awkward being so close to her.

But it felt so comforting; it was like he needed something to hold - to lean on. He had kept everything to himself that he blown up and now needed to recover, and for that he needed friends, loved ones; important people.

"Hey Dawn." Dawn looked at Ash after her had called her name. "Thank you." Dawn smiled.

"You don't have to thank me Ash. I'm doing because I'm your friend. I'll always be here when you need me."

"And that's all I ask." Ash held her hand tighter. She smiled.

And this was all she wanted was to be noticed by her closest friend, to be there when he needed her. Even if the love he was giving her was only as much as friend could give, it was enough for her; for now. She knew others would say it would be plain crazy to hold on such a thin string but to her it was good enough to make her smile and give her hope.

Hope that he would learn to love him as well.


	8. Day Eight:

Alright, did this earlier than expected. Its a mixed emotion chapter. A certain couple is back but that doesn't mean there aren't new problems to face as a couple. Part two is starting i hope next chapter and new shippings will come into the mix. horah!

This chapter was based off the song _Till my Heartaches End . _It's the prefect that fits this chapter well. Just listen to the song while reading this and i'm sure you'll agree...to some point? lol.

_I was afraid this time would come_  
><em>I wasn't prepared to face this kind of hurtin' from within<em>  
><em>I have learned to live my life beside you<em>

_Maybe I'll just dream of you tonight_  
><em>And if into my dream you'll come and touch me once again<em>  
><em>I'll just keep on dreaming till my heartaches end <em>

_ Till me Heartaches End - Carol Banawa,_

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Eight:<span>

It was in the early hours in the morning as Ash took a stroll on the edges of the Sunnyshore's beach. He only had his simple white shirt and blue pants. He stood where the water met the shore and let his toes touch the edges of the water. His good companion looked up to his trainer and tried to take a sip from the ocean but pulled away after noticing how salty it was. Pikachu looked back at saw Ash was till looking at the endless sea.

Ash played with a empty poke ball in his hands and continued to throw it up into the air and catching it again moments later while staring at the sea. Pikachu began to wonder why his trainer was acting with such silence. He knew that his trainer was in love with his former travelling companion and he was happy to see his master was happy but did sadness come as well when in comes to love?

A young girl holding a water type in her arms walked beside her mentor. He gazed at he ocean before looking up at Ash. "She's coming today isn't she?" She asked. Ash simply nodded. "Why aren't you happy?"

Ash stopped throwing one of his empty poke balls and held it tight. He slipped it back into his pockets and turned away. Dawn raced to grab hold of his wrist. She asked once more. "Ash! Why aren't you smiling?"

"Believe me, I'm happy Ma-she's coming back but that means Brendan will be there as well."

"But May's yours, you shouldn't get jealous." Dawn put a teasing grin after a few minutes of silence. "Your jealous." Ash quickly turned to face her.

"I'm not jealous." Ash glared. "I mean why should I be?" He joked around. Dawn looked at him sceptically. "What?" Ash asked. He wasn't liking Dawn's looks at him.

"Liar." She added. While maintaining her dubious glare she poked Ash on the shoulder. "Your so jealous." Ash blushed and looked away.

"Fff-fine. Just this once." Ash readjusted his cap and began to walk back to the pokecenter.

"Aw, my little Ashy boy is starting to grow up." Dawn added. Ash waved back at her with a whatever attitude added. Dawn laughed. "This isn't really helping me is it?" Piplup looked up in confusion. Pikachu looked up at Dawn. He wondered what she was on about. "That's right I forgot to tell you." the girl knelt down to Pikachu's eyesight. "I'm in love with Ash as well." She grinned.

"PIKA? Pikachu nearly fell over his own feet. Dawn laughed.

"But it doesn't matter if I'm not with him. As long I can be with Ash I'm fine with that." Pikachu grinned. He seemed to be glad with Dawn's words. Dawn stood up and walked back to the center holding Piplup slightly tighter. He noticed his trainer was crying. "I'm such a bad liar."

Pikachu watched as Dawn walked from him. The little mouse took a seat beside the ocean and sighed. He was fully convinced not to enter into the love business. It was too complicated for his little mind to understand.

* * *

><p>"Alright!" Sapphire cheered as we raised her arms into the morning air. "Sunnyshore city!" Brendan laughed. "What?"<p>

"Nothing." He smirked. "Now come on, Ash is waiting for you." Sapphire nodded. The young girl raced ahead as Brendan tagged along at his own pace.

The trainer began to notice the glowing sunset rising from the sea. Even it was the same sun it looked more wonderful in Sunnyshore. It gave him a sense of relaxation and…peace. He smiled at the glowing sun and planned to catch up with his good friend until a young woman bumped right into him.

It was Dawn.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and lifted her chin to his eye sight. "Are you alright Miss?" Dawn kept on crying even after looking at him. "Hey, sorry I didn't mean to hurt you." Dawn wiped her tears away.

"It's not you. Sorry about that." She bumped shoulders into Brendan and made her way but he grabbed her shoulder causing her to stop.

"Running away isn't going to solve anything." She slowly turned around to face him.

Dawn recognised him better the second time around. He was Brendan Birch, May's ex. She removed his hand on her shoulder and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Because of May. I'm returning her to Ash."

Her feet quickly backtracked. Her heart raced with fear. Her eyes kept on blinking in horror. She embraced Piplup tighter and tears ran down her face once more. Brendan felt he was looking in a mirror. He remembered the shock that went through his heart when she saw Sapphire running back into the arms of another. He wanted to stop her, her wanted to grabbed her and hug her until the world would end.

"Please tell me this a dream." He shook his head. "No, no…not now. Not well I let myself love him!" Dawn raced down the path that Ash had walked down. Brendan watched as the little fragile girl raced down that path as fast as her legs could go. He shrugged and placed his hands into his pockets.

"Poor girl. Following him will only make things worse."

* * *

><p>She screamed his name, she didn't care if she would look like a fool. She needed him; she wanted him. She was determine to find him; she didn't come all this way for nothing! She took a breather before looking up a lighthouse. It still had its beam on even in the later hours of the morning. She could see lights of many house flicker on; she needed to get a move on. She pushed onwards and reached the door of the lighthouse. She slammed the door many times as if she was stuck in the midst of a deadly storm.<p>

Her fists went red by the time she manages to open a simple door handle. She pressed it down and shoved the door out of her way and raced up the stairs. It looked endless as she felt she was stuck in a time loop but when she saw him in that lighthouse everything became clear and was worth the pain.

"Ash…" she barely spoke. The young trainer turned around and smiled.

He softly replied back hier name. She could feel like crying and she did once she was in his arms.

She missed him dearly. She missed the way he would carelessly played with her hair and softly traced his fingers down her cheeks when she was about to fall asleep. She missed the way he would intertwine his fingers with hers and how he would placed his cheeks against hers. She begged for moments like this even when they weren't apart. Even in the long hours of his training she would rush to his side when he was down.

She didn't want to part from him ever. She dug into his chest and he slowly patted her hair. She cold feel his warmth hugging around her. The cold mornings weren't the same without Ash. It wasn't the same ever since she met him. She couldn't stop smiling.

Finally he was back.

"Sapphire." Both looked up at one another. "thank you for coming back." Ash ran his fingers through her brown hair. "Sorry for acting like that." Sapphire placed her finger over his lips.

"It's May, Ash."

Both went into another embrace. "Sorry for not telling you earlier. It just got harder each day that passed by."

"It's alright. I kinda understand now."

Sapphire smiled back. "Promise no more secrets." Sapphire placed one hand over her heart and the other in the air as if she was reciting a secret oath. Ash laughed. He held her hand and held it tight.

"Don't worry about it May." He guided her hand and placed it where his heart laid. "No matter what happens we'll get through anything together."

As the two enjoyed their small reunion another watched from below. No matter how many times she would rip her heart out of her chest, another would take it's place with her feelings still there. She tried to forget it when she discovered her best friend fell in love with him but when they parted gave it another chance…but she nearly cried when she thought of the outcome. But even once, one night, one hour, minute or second, Dawn didn't care how long just along she could have him to herself like once before.

She smiled at them both as both of them embraced each other romantically. Dawn sighed and turned to only find Brendan right behind her al that time.

"Feel better?" Dawn faintly smiled.

"It was about time I was hit with the harsh truth." Dawn joked. "So why are you around? Didn't you said you would bring May back, now you have what's next?" Brendan smirked.

"That's it."

Sapphire looked over Ash's shoulder and saw her old lover fading from her sight. His body began to glow white and white glowing orbs began to leave his body. Sapphire rushed to the edge of the lighthouse and held the rails tight.

"Ruby!" She screamed. "No, don't go!" Even Ash couldn't believe what was happening to Ruby. Sapphire was pouring her tears out. "Ruby! Please!" She cried.

"Quiet down." Ruby placed a finger over his lips. "Your going to wake up the whole town."

Sapphire shook her head. "I don't care. Just don't go!" Ruby snickered.

"I only accepted to come back if I could see you happy in your new world. Now that I'm convinced I better make no more delays." Sapphire continued to shake her head.

"But Ruby. You don't have to go! You were given a second chance, please don't waste it!" Ruby faintly smiled and shook his head.

"I rather leave with good memories than make new ones in a world without you." Sapphire could feel the morning breeze brushed across her face as Ruby continued to fade from her sights. The trainer looked at the sunset and back at Sapphire. "I had a wonderful time here with you. Thank you…May."

Ash wrapped Sapphire in his arms as Sapphire continued to watch Ruby losing sight from them. He knew that if there was anyone that understood the pain of your first love fading away from good it would be him. Brendan looked at Ash.

"Looks after my girl for me alright?" He teased. "The love you share is something me and Sapphire never had." Ash nodded. He looked at Sapphire once more.

"Promise you will keep on shining…May."

And just like the wind, Brendan faded from their sights. Sapphire turned back into Ash's arms and cried as if she hadn't before. Ash glanced down at Dawn. The bluette sadly looked back and made her own way. Ash looked at notice the sunrise was over.

Brendan's last words stood clear in his mind. He spoke just May did on the ship where she originally died. To watch the most important person to him just die like that without a single fight made him weak. She wasn't the same girl he taught those many years ago. Johto had made her grow weak. It was because he wasn't there when she needed him. He couldn't imagine all the nights she would embrace in the darkness over her lost.

Ash looked back at Sapphire. She slowly looked back at the man she loved so dearly. This was his second chance. His second chance to love. Second chance to make up for his mistakes. Second chance to not let her go. She softly smiled.

"Why don't we go and get that last gym badge shall we?" He nodded.

"Yeah." Both looked up at the sky. Ash smiled. "Thanks May."

Behind the tower stood a little green grass type who couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p>Brock told to Sapphire about what had happened when she was gone. Him and the others helped Volkner to regain his senses and return to battling. Sapphire even remembered how cheerful Ash was when talking to Volkner about never giving up. He felt like he was just talking about himself. The coordinator glanced at Dawn was didn't looked back at her and continued her cheering in her cheerleading outfit. Sapphire couldn't express herself enough to see Ash back to his regular self. Sapphire didn't get so shocked when he used Torterra against Electivire. She clapped her hands as Ash easily countered his fire punch with Rock climb but it wasn't enough as it easily knocked out Torterra. Even Pikachu's long ranged attacks where easily blocked.<p>

Jolteon didn't stand a chance against Infernape as he was easily knocked in a move or two. Dawn raised her pompoms and so did Piplup after Ash's second win. Sapphire wondered why Dawn didn't greet her or even give her a friendly hug like she would always do. Did she do something bad?

Luxray portrayed a much harder match. A simple Iron tail wasn't good enough against it and eventually Pikachu was the first to fall. It was another battle for Infernape when Ash took him into battle. There was even a time where it looked like it was all over until Infernape's blaze took into place. The fire monkey ran into Ash's arms when he had won the match with a powerful fire type attack.

Even if the lights went out of a Team Rocket failed attempt Sapphire could still see Ash clearly and jumped over the fence and ran to him. Ash picked her up and both laughed. Ash placed her down as the lights came back on.

"A girlfriend eh? Explains a lot." Both exchanged glances and blushed. Volkner and his old good friend, Flint joined in the laughter. "Well here is your badge. You earned it Ash."

Sapphire could never erase that giant grin from her boyfriend face when he held that badge high up in the air. In fact Ash stated that he would start running to the league right at that moment.

And so he began.

Sapphire laughed as the memory entered into her mind that only happened a few hours ago. She yawned and adjusted her position in her bed and curled up under her sheets even more. She opened her eyes and Ash sleeping across the room in his own bed. Clearly knocked out and unaffected by the bright lights on Sunnyshore city with his most trusted pokemon by his side curled up in ball.

She removed her sheets and slowly made her way to his side. She knelt down on the floor with her arms on the bed with her chin on top. She kept looking at her boyfriend. Everything that had happened to them only made one thing clear; that their love was strong enough to withstand anything. Soon she noticed his eyes fluttered open. Ash was surprised to find Sapphire right in his face.

"Morning." she replied cheerfully. Ash looked out his window and noticed it was still dark, he guessed it was around nine or ten at night.

"Bit to early." Ash said sleepily, a weak smiled soon came across his face.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"Hardly." Sapphire decided to snuggle beside Ash. Ash scooted over as Sapphire found her way under the covers. "Just everything today…that gym battle and Brendan." Ash softly traced his fingers down Sapphire's cheeks. "Are you sure your okay?" Sapphire nodded.

"It's not easy but I'll find a way." She grabbed his hand. "With you of course."

"So now we are going to Dawn's grand festival. Are you going to help her train?" Sapphire stood up after Ash asked her.

"That's if she lets me." Sapphire embraced herself. "She hasn't been herself ever since I came back." Ash turned his back and looked at the bright lights of the city. Sapphire noticed this. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just tried." Ash softly spoke. Sapphire wasn't convinced and pulled Ash onto his back. She placed herself on top of him, looking at him angrily. "What? I am." He explained.

"Don't make me break up with you Ash Ketchum." Sapphire stated.

"May, I'm fine. Honest." Ash held his hands in surrender. Sapphire sighed. There were times were it was just impossible to break through Ash's wall.

Ash wrapped his arms around May and turned her onto her back. Sapphire blushed and how close their faces were and in the position they were both in. She could hear the fast pulse of their hearts. They could feel their noses touch as they both reached for each other's lips. His tender lips felt so soft and felt like she could kiss them all night. Sapphire was caught off guard when it was Ash that reached for the kiss first. They broke apart and Ash laid back on his back. Sapphire turned on her side to face him.

"Ash doing the kissing now?" Sapphire giggled. "That's new." Ash blushed. Ash reached out for his pillow and covered his bright face. This only caused Sapphire to laugh even more.

She laid on top of his stomach and removed the pillow covering Ash's face. She gave a teasing look. "So cute." She kissed Ash on his forehead before standing up. "Goodnight." and after one cute wave and smile Sapphire tucked into her own bed. Ash gazed at her worriedly.

There was one more thing he had forgotten to tell her.

Sapphire closed her eyes with her back facing Ash but she opened them afterwards. She placed her hand underneath her pillow and pulled out a blue bandana. It had the same design as her green one. She held it tight before placed the material near her lips and softly kissing it and then returning underneath her pillow. After a minute of two she grabbed it once more and held it in her hands.

"Why did you have to go like that…Ruby?…without a…goodbye…" Sapphire spoke before falling into a deep slumber.


	9. Day Nine:

Okay, wrote this just in a few hours, thought i had writers block for a minute until my fingers didn't stop writing. XD Thank goodness it wasn't. Well i hope you enjoy this, part two is now starting in 3...2...1...

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Nine:<span>

"Alright Glaceon use Shadow ball, up high into the air!" Sapphire pointed into the sky. Glaceon followed and summoned a ghost type ball high into the sky. "Now cover it with Ice Beam!"

A small neon blue orb appeared right into of Glaceon's mouth and soon a thin beam of ice aimed and covered shadow ball. "Now smash it with Iron Tail!" Glaceon jumped into mid air and with one swipe of Glaceon's iron tail the ball of ice smashed leaving tiny fragments of ice falling into her, giving her fur a wonderful shine. Sapphire clapped her hands and invited her ice fox into her arms.

"That was great!" She cheered. Glaceon purred in her arms in response. "But to bad we can't enter into the grand festival because we have only three ribbons." She sighed.

"Three?" A voice called from behind. Sapphire stood up and saw it was her good friend, Dawn. "That was a great performance." She smiled.

"Dawn." Sapphire muttered. "Didn't know you were watching."

"Well, I was going to say something but I got caught into your performance." Dawn looked at Glaceon before looking back at her friend. "Ash told me you were entering into the grand festival, is it true?" Sapphire looked away.

"That last time I checked I only had three ribbons." Dawn looked puzzled.

"Three? Wasn't it five?" Sapphire looked shocked. "Don't you remember? It was the first thing you showed us when you got here." Dawn opened Sapphire's green fanny pack and pulled out her orange ribbon case and opened it.

Inside held five contest ribbons. There was one ribbon that was able to be use in any region, another could be use in any grand festival. Dawn handed the case to her and May held one of the new mysterious ribbons that ended up in her case. She rubbed the soft fabric against her thumb and looked at her reflection at the golden center piece. Sapphire looked up at Dawn. Dawn was confused with May shocked reaction.

"You even said that you even came her to compete in the Sinnoh Grand festival before heading back to compete in the Johto one. Don't you remember any of this?" Sapphire shook her head. "I guess some of your memories still haven't came back." She sighed. Dawn looked up into the bright lit sky. "I'm joining to train for my contest moves. See you later then May." Dawn began to make her way.

Sapphire reached out to grab Dawn's wrist. "Don't you want to train together?" Dawn refused to look at Sapphire. "Were friends right?"

"Call it rivals May, rivals." Dawn escaped Sapphire's grasp and ran on ahead. Soon Sapphire was the only one left in the training grounds of the poke center.

_"Call it rivals May, rivals."_

A sharp pain entered into her mind which caused her to hold her head and cover her ears. She slowly fell to her knees with voices fading in and out. She closed her eyes and soon the opened wide. Her eyes were bright white as like before, her surroundings began to change. She was playing another part of May's life.

She was at the port of Johto with all her rivals; Harley, Solidad and Drew. All of them were smiling and giving her great gifts and good messages of advice. Two of them backed away as it was Drew's time to talk with her. He held her hands and looked at her deeply. As much she wanted to escape his grasp she couldn't because her body moved on it own. She quickly remembered she was witnessing and playing a memory and memories could never be changed.

Drew pushed May into his arms and held her tight. In her other memory of Drew he was not this emotional.

"Take care." He pushed her back and went back to holding her hands. "Your first stop is Snowpoint right? To evolve Eevee then enter into the Wallace Cup?" She nodded. "All of us will be watching from here, but promise you will come back afterwards? We have a contest to win." She laughed.

"I'm not really use to you being so caring Drew." Drew smirked.

"Neither do I." Both laughed. "But I'm serious, come back or I will come after you."

"Ooo, scary!" May teased.

Drew smiled and both went into a kiss, Sapphire couldn't believe that May would fall for a man like Drew. She couldn't understand unless May herself came and talked to her, but what was it in Drew that she didn't see in Ash?

Ash loved her from the start, he was with her more than Drew ever was. He was the only one that went to her when she was down. How could she ignore all of this for a man that only insulted her because he was jealous of her skills? But as they broke and looked into his eyes, there was something special in them, as if his little snobby personality was only a show.

The horn blew and she took her steps into the boat and stood outside until she could no longer see her rivals that became her family while travelling alone. When they were gone she reached out her hand to here she last saw Drew. After all, she was told to do this by a old recollection of May's past. Tears ran down her face, she tightened her fist and held her hand down.

"I'm sorry, but this is the end. I'm coming home."

_"Another memory?"_ Sapphire opened her eyes and notice she was back in the field where she was training with her pokemon. She looked at Glaceon and noticed she was worried for her.

"Yeah, haven't had one for a few days." Celebi appeared in front of her and Glaceon.

_"Only means that your one step accepting your new persona."_ Sapphire nodded. _"But I never expected you to tell Ash about your past life. Quite unexpected."_

"Brendan showed up, it was hard to hide if your past is right in front of you." Sapphire's voice soften when she mentioned Ruby's new name.

_"I'm sorry about that. I should of told you about Ruby but, he wanted to not inform you at all that he was here."_ Sapphire looked at Celebi shocked and dragged the little grass type lower.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sapphire shouted. Tears was pouring out of eyes without her noticing.

_"Because I know you would return with him._" Sapphire released her grasp. _"Admit it May, you still love him. It can't be helped. But I'm convinced, after you recollecting another old memory that your ready to move on."_

Sapphire wanted to move on from that question, she couldn't find the right words to reply. She loved Ash; she really did but did Ruby take a bigger portion of her heart then Ash? Sapphire looked at her emerald and gold ring. Only her and Celebi cold see the mystic object. She lightly tapped it with her fingers until Celebi placed her hands over it.

_"Don't ever take it off May, or you will revert to your old self."_ Sapphire looked up._ "You see, I wanted to tell you before you left for this world but there wasn't enough time. You see this ring is your life source. Take it off and the real truth will be revealed. You will return to your old world and your death will…exist and so will May's."_

"So your telling me Ruby had a ring like this?" Celebi nodded.

_"He really was convinced that he would come here to see you and spend his last days with you. He would only go if he was convinced that Ash would take care of you, much better than he did. When he saw this he returned to the real truth."_

_"I rather leave with good memories then live in a world without you."_

"Oh, Ruby." Sapphire continued to cry. "Your idiot!" Celebi patted Sapphire's shoulder to try to calm her down.

_"You could do the same thing, if you really think this world isn't for you. Ruby is waiting there."_

Sapphire looked at her ring that kept her in this world.

She could go home.

If she took this ring off.

Then she would be home.

With her real friends and family.

Sapphire shook her head and dried her tears away. "As much as I want to go home, I can't. My new home is here." Celebi smiled. "And plus Ruby wouldn't like to see me give up."

_"Promise you will keep on shining…May."_

_"I'm so happy to hear that."_ Celebi began to fade away form her sights once more. _"Take care, I'll see you soon."_

Sapphire stood up and patted her Glaceon. "Sorry about that Glaceon. It was something I think we both won't ever understand." Glaceon replied and Sapphire laughed and embraced her ice fox. "Come-on, lets train one more time." Sapphire soon looked at her two new ribbons. There was only one person that gave her them.

It was Ruby.

It was Ruby's last parting gift to her.

* * *

><p>Ash was in his room with his trusty companion Pikachu, sitting together on the single bed with a sheet of paper between them. Pikachu had a small grey pencil in his paws; tapping the end with his hands. Ash on the other hand had his resting on his right ear. He grabbed it and began to write down his plans for the Sinnoh League but after a few minutes he threw it away and sighed.<p>

"This is harder than I thought." He sighed. He looked back and noticed he didn't throw his ball of paper at the bin and decided to walk over and put it in. "Maybe I should just go with my gut feeling."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Ash stood up and couldn't help but glance at the items May placed on the desk. Ash skimmed through her notes and was about to move on until she saw that were was one sheet that had a few words placed onto it.

_"People that don't learn from their past mistakes are most likely to repeat it. People who don't move on from their past are most likely to relive it."_

Ash gave a worried look at Pikachu before moving to the window where she saw May training for her grand festival. She was smiling and laughing as she and her other pokemon created new and wonderful contest moves. Ash looked back at the note May roughly wrote. He had the words repeat in this mind as he watch Sapphire from afar.

"What are you trying to tell me May?" He questioned himself.

"Is May troubling you again?" Ash turned around and hid the note behind his back. Pikachu slowly jumped off the bed and sneakily took the letter from his master. "I really don't like seeing you like this Ash."

"Dawn, please." Dawn closed the door behind her. "Not now."

"But I need to get my head around it. I can't train if you keep haunting my mind."

"There is no reason to keep thinking about it Dawn, there was nothing special about it."

"To me, there is." Dawn boldly stated. "You knew, didn't you. You knew I liked you." Ash shifted his eyes back to Sapphire.

"I want to tell May about that before talking to you." Dawn rushed to Ash and forced him to look at her.

"Stop running away!" She screamed. "This isn't you, this isn't us!" Ash carefully pushed Dawn away from him.

"There is no 'us', Dawn." Dawn shook her head. "Even before May came around."

"Liar. There was a us."

Dawn sat onto Ash's bed and placed her hands on her lap with her eyes fixed on the carpet. "When I told you for the first time, you didn't understand when you did. I told you the second time and then you finally got it and we were…together. Then suddenly you and May got together and had a troublesome time I came to you and then you slowly kissed me." Dawn stood up. "Tell me what the hell is happening!"

"Nothing!" Ash yelled. "I just wasn't myself." Dawn grabbed Ash's vest and looked in his eyes, crying.

"Please, tell me there was." Ash grabbed Dawn's hands and slowly Dawn released him.

"You're my friend Dawn, and I don't want to see you hurt like this because of me. Can we just return the way we were before?"

"I can't!" She screamed. "If I could rip away my feelings so we could return the way it was before then I would of done it ages ago! Ash! I can't move on if you're here with me!"

Ash moved up to Dawn but Dawn quickly backtracked. "What are you trying to say Dawn?"

"I'm not entering in the Grand Festival. I'm going home!" Dawn rushed out of the room while nearly bumping into Brock in the process. Brock sighed and held Ash back as he was going to chase after Dawn. Ash didn't bother to convince Brock to let him go but instead just stood there.

"You knew didn't you?" Ash refused to look at his old friend.

"I had a few pieces, but not the whole thing." Brock watched Dawn grabbing her things and rushing out of the door. Ash saw this as well. "Ash, you can't keep this game up." Ash covered his face with his cap.

"I know, but I don't like seeing them getting hurt."

"Great job with that so far." Brock lifted Ash's cap. "Look, I heard what you two discussed and I only can say you did the right thing. You told her that it can't be you two anymore. But I'm worried to May." Ash looked up at the ex-gym leader. "Have you told May any of this?"

"I'm trying to get there. How can I tell May that it use to be me and Dawn before she came along?"

Brock wanted to make Ash quiet but it was already too late.

She had already heard all of it.

"May!" Ash called out.

"You use to be with Dawn before me?" Ash raced to Sapphire and embraced her but Sapphire just wanted to run. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It happened to fast. When I fell for you I kinda was with…her at the same time. I'm so sor-"

Sapphire broke free and slapped the young trainer on the face. Tears was running down her cheeks. Sapphire didn't know what to do. She felt like slapping Ash was the right thing for that moment. She didn't want to hurt the man she loved but he hurt her. Sapphire knew it was by mistake and Ash wasn't the type of person to hurt anyone of purpose but he was covered in a cloud of confusion that before he could do anything she had found out.

"Ash I know your not the type to hurt anyone but you should have been stronger to tell me. You should of told me the first time we got together. I thought I was _your_ girl. But no, you had somebody else in your heart."

"Didn't you?" Ash looked up and placed his hat back in his head. "Your still in love with Brendan, you love him more than me right, Sapphire?" Sapphire felt like slapping Ash for the second time but she held herself back. "Don't talk like you haven't done it yourself."

Both looked at each deeply before one of them broke the silence. "May, pick. Me or Brendan and I'll do the same."

"Ash…I." Sapphire went to race for his hands but it was Ash's time to backtrack.

It was painful to let her go for the second time in a row but if they wanted to stay together they needed to clear up their past. Sapphire just wanted to take back everything she said and say sorry until the day was over. But she knew to, that to move on she had to pick one and stay with one.

"…those who don't learn from their mistakes from the past are most liking to repeat them."

"…and people who don't move on from their past are most likely to relive it." Sapphire looked up in surprised that Ash knew the words she wrote down. She smiled and turned around. She glanced over her shoulder. "Alright. If this is what you want, then I agree."

"Meet me at the Lighthouse, tomorrow, before the boat to the Grand Festival goes." Sapphire nodded as she raced of the center leaving the two boys alone. Ash looked over to Brock and nodded.

"It's for the best."

* * *

><p>Sapphire didn't notice how dark it had gotten until she stopped at the beach and gaze up at the stars. she felt the night breeze blow through her hair. She wanted to speak with Dawn to clear her mind up but she was no where to be found. She sighed and sat by the rocks of the beach and watched the waves crash into the rocks she was sitting on.<p>

"Why did Ash let me go like that? Was it because he trusted me? Because he has faith I will return back to him?"

"I wouldn't."

The person walked beside her and looked up. Sapphire looked down and noticed his appearance: purple vest, black sleeve top and lime green hair. Sapphire lost her balance and fell into his arms. Sapphire blushed.

"D-Drew!" Sapphire stuttered. "W-What are you doing h-here?" Sapphire had no idea why she was stuttering or even blushing.

"Coming to get you of course." Drew smiled. Sapphire soon felt her face warm up even more. She shook her head as Drew place her onto her own two feet. "I thought you said after the Wallace Cup you would come back?"

"There have been some complications while I was here." She sweat dropped.

"Such as?" He asked.

"I forgot my memory while heading back to Johto so I've been here recollecting my…past." Sapphire's voice weakened.

"But you remember me so we can leave this place." Drew replied. Sapphire turned around and made her way back up to the rocks. She jumped on each one on her way as if they she was jumping on rocks on a lake. Drew was left dumbfounded but followed her. "May, why are you running from me?"

"I'm not the same girl you remember Drew!" May looked and saw Drew was still following her. "I'm not the May you once loved!" She continued to make her way further from him.

"May!" Drew repeated. "What do you mean?"

Sapphire stood still and turned around and saw Drew was only a few rocks behind her, a few feet but close enough to hold a normal toned conversation. Sapphire stood firmed and answered Drew's question.

"I'm not your girl anymore!"

Sapphire felt pain enter into her body when she spoke those words to him. But why? This was the first time she was meeting Drew, so why did it hurt her so to tell him she was no longer his?

"I-I." Sapphire paused. "I'm sorry." Sapphire turned around and made her way to the path that led back to the pokecenter.

Drew watched as ''May'' ran away from him. He watched as she stuttered a few times to get away from him before finding her path back to the pokemon center. Drew flicked his hair and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Time to get some answers I guess."


	10. Day Ten:

One ship ends here, sadly. Had so much fun writing the moments. anyway this chapter is once again, based on another song. Here, i'll share the words with you.

_"Take everything from me_

_just not my love._

_I know you can make him love you, and take him,_

_but please, love somebody else._

_Take everything from me_

_just not my love._

_It will be the death of my heart,_

_if you take him away from me."_

_-Kunin Mo And Lahat Sa Akin -_ Take Everything From Me

Sorry if i'm making a habit of basing each chapter after ballards. But, i can't help it. It helps me write them. XD

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Ten:<span>

Brock gazed at the morning sun. It was another early morning in Sinnoh. He could feel the gentle cold breeze brush on his face as the boats came to park and await their passengers to board. He looked down at his feet and noticed Ash's bag was with him, then it came to the breeder that Ash had asked to go ahead of him and take this things with him. There was one thing he had to make sure he did before leaving.

Brock scratched his hair and sighed. "Hope he gets here in time."

* * *

><p>Sapphire kept slamming her clothes into her small yellow backpack in hope that they would say in without popping out once more. She quickly grabbed the zipper and closed it before anymore of her items would escape. Sapphire rejoiced when all of her things were packed.<p>

"I hope I'm not too late." Soon a knock on the door woke Sapphire from her deep thoughts. "Come in!" She added in.

"Hey there." Sapphire quickly embraced her yellow backpack after hearing the very familiar voice.

Sapphire felt like his words glued her into that one spot. What should she do? What were the right words? Her mind couldn't come up with the right words. Her cheery mood was wiped away with uncertaintly.

They never did.

* * *

><p>"Dawn?" Brock jolted as he discovered she had made her way back to him before Ash.<p>

"Have you seen Ash?" She asked, forgetting to even greet the breeder a simple 'good morning' "I need to talk to him."

"Is this between you and him? About your relationship?" Dawn avoided his gaze. Brock placed his hand on her shoulder and waited until the coordinator would look back at him. "You both need to settle this here and now."

"I know…I know." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I know."

* * *

><p>"Aren't you going to say anything back?" Sapphire tightened her grasp on her bag. She could feel his presence coming closer to her until their shoulders could touch.<p>

"Hey-hey there, Drew." Sapphire sweat dropped.

"Am I that terrifying that you can't even give your boyfriend a hug?"

Sapphire slipped backwards as soon Drew was about to place her arm around her. Drew stared at her in confusion. She was shaking. There was even a bright red blush on her cheeks. Another knock was made on her door and a man, her age entered into the room.

It was Ash. He looked at both in confusion.

"Wha?" Ash spoke. "Since when did you get here Drew?"

"Since when did you care?" Drew replied arrogantly. Ash rolled his eyes but was interrupted when Sapphire ran into his arms. She was shaking, nervous as hell.

"I-I pick you, Ash." Sapphire stuttered.

"May?" Drew questioned. "What is this?"

Ash tried to hide his smile when he heard that May or Sapphire, he didn't care who she was picked him over everything they had been through. Ash placed a serious look as he pushed Sapphire closer to him and wrapped one arm around her. Ash readjusted his cap and smirked at the male coordinator.

"It's me and May now." Ash spoke in a polite manner. Drew couldn't reply but look at his now, ex-girlfriend.

"May, is that true?" Sapphire turned and hid her face from him and nodded. Ash didn't understand why Sapphire was so afraid, nervous from Drew.

"I'm-I'm so sorry." Sapphire muttered. "I didn't want to hurt you Drew. Things…changed after that incident." Drew flicked his hair, trying to keep his snobby personality up, but it didn't last long.

"I…see." Drew form a half smile with his lips. "I better get going now." His eyes were covered with sadness.

As the boy began to make his way from the two, Sapphire dropped her bag and quickly rushed out Ash's arms and grabbed Drew by his right arm with both of her hands. Both boys were shocked.

"Don't go." It felt like Sapphire was muttering the words of another girl. "At least watch my grand festival, then you can go." Drew turned around.

"Are you sure about this May?" Drew glanced at Ash. "Is this really the best for you and Ash?" The lime hair boy fixed his eyes back at Sapphire. "It's going to be rather uncomfortable." Ash placed his hand on Drew's shoulder.

"If it's what May wants, then I'll agree." Ash grinned. Drew smiled.

"Alright, if that's what you both want."

* * *

><p>"I need to get this out before leaving." Brock waited as more passengers passed them by before answering.<p>

"You're going alone?" Dawn wiped away a few tears that began to run down her face. Brock questioned himself if he had said anything offensive.

"Brock, that's the thing." The bluenette looked up at her fellow companion. "I'm not entering the grand festival anymore."

* * *

><p>When Drew had left ahead of them Sapphire noticed Ash was carrying a red backpack, a bag that was different to his original green one. Ash noticed his girl was looking at his new bag and smiled. He giggled slightly before kneeling to the ground to open his bag. Inside was a fuzzy warm ruby coloured winter blanket. Ash soon placed the blanket over Sapphire's shoulders without saying a single word. Sapphire rubbed the material between her fingers before looking back at Ash.<p>

"What is this for?" She asked.

"Well Brock suggested the idea." Ash began. "Just think of it like this, whenever you're alone and sad wrapped this blanket around like this and then," Ash softly embraced Sapphire. "It would be like I'm right there with you, hugging you." Sapphire blushed.

"That's really…cute Ash." It was Ash's turn to blush.

"Um, well, yeah…thanks May." Sapphire smiled and snuggled herself with the blanket Ash had just given to her.

"Your so sweet." She giggled. Causing Ash to flush some more.

"Stop it." Sapphire continued to laugh. "Anyway we should head out, the boat should be there by now." Sapphire nodded.

"Just need to get my bags and I'll meet you there." The brunette slipped her hands into Ash's. "I'm so glad we're back." He nodded.

"Same here." He softly pecked her lips and smiled before leaving on ahead. Sapphire smiled and touched where Ash had kissed her.

She was so glad to be back in love.

And in the arms of a man that loved her so.

"Celebi, you around?" There was no reply, so Sapphire asked one more time. "Celebi?" Soon the little legendary grass type appeared in front of her eyes. "I'm so glad you're here."

_"Something the matter?" _Celebi asked.

"I need to ask." Sapphire closed the door behind her. "Why do I keep stuttering every time Drew is near me? Why does my heart race as fast when his around like when Ash is near me?" She placed her hands on her face. "Why does my face heat up when I'm near him?"

Celebi looked down and sighed. _"Easy, you're falling for Drew."_

* * *

><p>"Dawn?" the girl turned when she heard her name being called. She softly smiled. "What are you doing here? Has May come here yet?" Dawn shook her head.<p>

And out of a sudden the young teenager ran into his arms and held him tight. Seconds later she began to cry. Ash pulled back and wiped her tears away and smiled. "Hey, don't have to be sorry. You can't come to the grand festival looking like that."

She placed his hands on his cheeks and rubbed her thumbs and felt how smooth they were. Soon she moved her face closer until it looked like they were kissing. Her forehead touched his and she followed by closing her eyes.

"I'm not coming." She muttered before taking two steps back. "I'm not entering into the grand festival this year."

"What?" Ash spoke out loud. He saw that Brock wasn't as shocked as he was; it was as if he already knew it was going to happen. "Why, why not?"

"Because it won't be any good for the both of us."

Ash felt his cheeks wet, he touched it with his fingers and noticed he was crying. Now both of them were crying.

"It won't be easy for us, but we'll make it. That is what you taught me." Dawn punched her fist into the air. Ash smirked.

"I'm going to miss you Dawn. Going to miss how you use Piplup's Bubblebeam to wake me up." Both friends laughed.

Ash looked at her deeply before letting Dawn rush into his arms once more. Both held onto each other tight as if they were being ripped apart from the surface of the earth. Ash opened his eyes half wide and noticed Brock was nodding. It was time to let her go. It was time to Dawn to open her eyes and noticed May was standing there, smiling.

Sapphire knew how it felt to lose somebody so close to your heart and if this was the last time both would see one another, then let it be. They all needed to close this chapter in their lives.

They broke apart as the boat began to blow its horn. Brock threw Ash's bag and the boy caught it. Ash gave the signal to come towards him and she noticed what was happening and began to run, as for both boys they were already on before the plank began taken apart. It was all too fast that they didn't know what they were doing. Dawn tried by encouraging her to run faster.

"Ash!" May called. Dawn tried to call for the boat to stop but the noise was too loud. Ash reached out his hand but he couldn't reach.

Suddenly the girl felt somebody grap of her wrist from above and drag her to him. She scoped the air and noticed she was in Drew's arms and riding on his Flygon. Sapphire began to shake once more.

_"No, I can't. I can't be falling for him. I refuse!"_

And like a princess Drew placed Sapphire onto her feet on the boat after Flygon landed on the boat. Sapphire thanked Drew before standing beside Ash's side.

"Why do you keep acting like you're afraid of me?" Sapphire peeked over Ash's shoulder.

"Um, just a little jetlag, that's all." She joked.

Ash soon walked to the rails and waved to Dawn who was calling them both. Sapphire soon joined and waved at the girl. Eventually the four of them waved at the girl. Dawn smiled. She couldn't believe after the mess she had brought upon to her friends, they still wanted her in their lives. Dawn couldn't ask for any other friends then what she already had.

"Good luck May! Win that grand festival, okay?"

"Of course!" Sapphire waved back. "Of course, just make sure you'll come and see me there!"

Drew, in the corner of his eyes kept watching May as she was too busy saying her goodbye. He quickly looked back at the sea. Something about May kept bothering him. But he couldn't keep his finger on it.

* * *

><p><em>"The more you accept you're May, the more of your old feelings will return."<em>

Sapphire curled into a ball everything Celebi's words would echo in her mind. Could it be true? Were the old feelings for Drew coming back to her? No, she may look like her, but she was Sapphire. She was a completely different person. She tried covering her thoughts with the gift Ash had given her earlier but it didn't change anything.

_"It's something you have to face May, you still haven't picked. Well, you haven't yet."_

She already picked. It was Ash. Yes, Ash. Her Ash. Not May's, _her _Ash.

"You okay under there?" She soon saw her blanket being taken away from her face.

"Oh, hey there." Sapphire sat up with her blanket still over her shoulders. Ash moved closer and looked into her eyes.

"You're not okay." He stated. "Nobody curls themselves into a ball when their _okay." _

Sapphire looked left and right before back at Ash. She took off her blanket off her head and sat up properly. She placed her hands in her lap as Ash soon sat beside her. "Hey you're alright?" He began. Sapphire replied with shaking her head. 

"You know that I'm not really that May you remember right?" Sapphire stuttered as she pulled the blanket over her head once more. Silence poured over her until she heard a reply.

"Yeah, but I don't love you any less because of it." She felt her blanket taken off her head. Sapphire saw that Ash was warmly smiling at her.

He wasn't sad, disappointed or mad. He seemed glad that she was able to tell him the truth, even after what they had been through. All that really mattered to Ash that Sapphire was with him. Even if she wasn't the girl he originally fell for.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Sapphire quickly shook her head.

"Of course not!"

"Then what's wrong?"

"I might have some feelings for Drew!" Sapphire blurted out.

Ash stood up and took a few steps back. He continued to backtrack after that until he hit onto the back wall. The brunette quickly ran to Ash's side with his gift over her shoulders still. The boy slowly slid downwards until he fell onto the carpet floor with one hand on his face. Sapphire quickly knelt down with her hands on his shoulder. His eyes soon met hers and inside Ash saw Sapphire didn't want these feelings for Drew.

_"If I could rip away my feelings so we could return the way it was before then I would have done it ages ago!"_

Dawn's words echoed in the trainer's mind. He knew that if it was ever possible May would rip her feelings for her rivals and focus her love to him. But love picks no time, place or reason. Once you're in, it's pretty much grantee you will find it nearly impossible to get out.

And without warning Ash raced and pulled Sapphire closer to him. Holding her tight and refusing the let her go. The young teenager was shocked but glad that he didn't refuse her back like he had once did, back when Ruby was still around. Soon she could feel tears touching her orange vest. Sapphire turned her head, while still in the arms of the man she love and saw he was trying to hide his tears from her. She raised her hand and placed it on his cheeks which caused Ash to look at her.

He was crying.

"How did this happen? You only met Drew today." Sapphire dug into Ash's shoulder.

"Last night actually. On the beach, he saw me there." Sapphire could feel Ash's embrace on her tightened. "You see Ash, ever since I came here; I've been recollecting May's original memories." Sapphire paused as she wrapped her arms around Ash. "And the more I accept to be her, the more I stay here, the more of May I become. Even her feelings for Drew will come back."

"No." Sapphire glanced at Ash. He was hiding his eyes with his cap. "I refuse; you're not going back with him. Not now, not ever."

"I can't help it. Eventually I'm going to leave you for him. It's destiny." Sapphire could hear her voice was trembling. "I really don't want to leave you." She tried to stay strong but it didn't last long.

"Then stay who you are then." He softly spoke. "Please, stay, the way you are now. Don't change. Don't ever."

Both looked at one another. Sapphire smiled and traced her fingertips down his cheeks. She moved her face closer until their lips met. He soon placed his hand on her cheek before their kiss ended. He ran his fingers through her short brown hair.

"Promise me that, you won't turn back into May. You can look like her, but don't be her. As much as I miss her, I can't afford to lose the only thing she gave to me."

"I promise I'll fight, fight for us."

The couple softly smiled before returning for another embrace.


	11. Day Eleven:

Alright, making Drew more enjoyable to read in this chapter. What's that i hear? Drew haters. o noes.

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Eleven:<span>

Sapphire smiled as she watched Wartortel coughing after eating too much ice cream too fast. Afterwards Wartortel went for another bite but much slower to avoid coughing as Sapphire took a bite from her own strawberry ice cream. Sapphire placed the end part of the cone into her mouth, swallowed and smiled. Sapphire giggled as her water type's vanilla ice cream began to melt.

"Ice cream doesn't taste very nice if it's melted Wartortle." The water type sweat dropped after wards.

"Wartortel." The turtle went back to have another bite from his melting ice cream when his trainer's rival appeared into the scene.

"Hey there May." The brunette looked away from her pokemon and to the eyes of her rival.

"Drew?" Sapphire asked. "What are you doing here?"

The trainer smirked with his answer. "I want a battle with you. Right here, right now."

Sapphire looked puzzled with Drew's sudden proposal but the girl shrugged her shoulder and sat up. Fixed her red singlet and white mini shorts, readjusted her straw hat and smiled confidently.

"Challenge accepted."

* * *

><p>"You seem annoyed about something Ash."<p>

"I'm not annoyed."

"But you haven't touched your meal."

The trainer looked down on his meal and noticed Brock's words spoke true. All his did was play with the ingredients that made his fried rice and honey chicken. Even Pikachu had finished his bottle of tomato sauce before Ash finished his meal. He sighed and looked out the window and watched the sea move up and down as flying types flew over it as water types swam through it. He seemed lost in his thoughts until his partner suddenly jumped onto his shoulder.

"It's Drew? He always seems to bother you when his around." Ash looked lazily at Brock before returning his eyes back at the endless pool of water.

"That and a bit what May told me yesterday."

_"I might have some feelings for Drew!"_

The words he thought haunted him. He thought after the doubts he had for her in the past was the worst of them all. But he was wrong. Ash removed his hat and ran his fingers thought his hair.

_"I can't help it. Eventually I'm going to leave you for him. It's destiny."_

Destiny was a horrible thing to depend on. When was the last time it did any good for him? After bringing May back to him from Johto everything just got too complicated for his fifteen year old mind to understand. His hands covered his face for a few seconds before sighing. Why were the simple things in life so hard to get?

_"I promise I'll fight, fight for us."_

His lips couldn't help but form a smile. She was going to fight for him; them. It convinced him that she wasn't going down easy and was planning to win but fighting against destiny wouldn't be easy. Others don't tamper into the fundamentals of destiny but Sapphire was different, she was strong and she had played with destiny long enough to know what it took to defeat it. But destiny could use that against her. And this worried him.

"You're jealous." Ash quickly turned back to Brock with a shocked look all over his face.

"I'm not." Ash emphasized.

"Then that means you don't love her."

Ash both looked at his oldest travelling companion with irritation and confusion.

"Every man gets jealous Ash, like it or not. It's one way to see if you really like the person or not."

Ash rolled his eyes and returned his eyes back at the sea. He glanced over back at Brock. He couldn't help but admit that he was somewhat right.

"Can't I just show how I love her in a different way?" Ash asked as he continued to look at the endless blue sea portrayed from his window.

"Well, there is many more out there but jealously is the strongest one out there." Brock smiled. "Take it like this; you love her lots which is causing you to become jealous."

Ash just sighed and began to eat his cold meal with the words Brock said to him, swimming around in his mind.

* * *

><p>"Roserade use Magical leaf at Wartortle now!"<p>

Roserade's roses opened and like bullets in a gun they shot right towards at Sapphire's water type. Thin rainbow coloured leaves flew at high speeds. "Use rapid spin to defend yourself!"

The turtle hid into his own shell and quickly spun clockwise and a high pace, fast enough to knock the leaves out of his path and right into the grass type. Roserade was sent a few steps back but it didn't seem to lay any major damage. Roserade smirked. Wartortle popped his head out of his shell to only be greeted by a mocking pokemon who treated his rapid spin like nothing.

"Hydro pump!" she screamed as she pointed at Drew's pokemon. "Let's go!"

Wartortle opened his mouth and a giant gush of high-pressure water blasted out.

"Sunny day!" Drew retaliated

As the high blast of water made its way to its target the more weaker the pressure became, the speed collapsed and what was supposed to be a high powered water type attack was nothing but water over Roserade's back.

"Solarbeam!"

_"Solarbeam Rosella!" _

_ The beam of light crashed into her Skitty and the little pink cat flew high into the air as if a child tossed it. Its scream echoed in her ears as the Rosella began to spin beautifully. She watched as Drew's lips moved. She knew he spoke a word but she could not hear it. The rose stopped twirling and summoned shiny rainbow leaves and aimed at the falling kitten. _

_ Sapphire watched, as she couldn't do anything to save it. She was placed into another memory that she had no choice but to play in. Seconds later the leaves crashed into Skitty and causing scratches to surface on its once soft short fur. Skitty screamed once more, causing tears to appear in her eyes. She noticed that her score had dropped hugely but she didn't care as she rushed to her Pokémon's aid and caught the kitten in her arms. _

_ The horn went off and seconds later a thumbnail image of Drew and his Roserade appeared on the huge screen above her. Then the voice of the host called out his name and his fans cheered. Her rival ignored them and walked towards her as she ran her fingers across Skitty's usual cheery face. But as he came closer she stood up suddenly, backtracked and looked him in the eye. They were covered in pain and anger. Anger Drew had never seen from her before. _

_ Backtracking a few steps before running into the building. He wanted to chase after her but the crowd roared his name and the host lifted his hand into the air. Repeating the words ''winner'' once more. Sapphire watched from the corner of her eyes before continuing on running. _

_ Running back home._

_ Running back to his heart._

The act had finished and the scream of Wartortle glued her back to earth. The scene portrayed her water type struggling back onto his feet as her opponent opened its roses, aimed and fired the same amount of Magical leaf from before.

"I'm not going to lose again to that Roserade of yours!" she pointed at Roserade with determination to defeat it. "Ice beam and destroy them with Rapid spin!"

A zigzagging thin blue beam aimed at the multiple leaves, in seconds they were all cover in ice. The little turtle jumped into mid air and quickly withdrawing into its shell and spinning and high speeds and destroying all the ice coated leaves within a matter of seconds. Wartortle appeared out of his shell and landed into the ground with tiny ice particles falling onto him.

"Let's finish this!" Sapphire punched her fist excitedly into the air. "Rapid spin with Ice beam!"

"We will be doing the finishing here! Solar beam! Full force!"

Roserade placed his ''hands'' together side by side and released the powerful beam of light straight at Wartortle. He quickly settled into his shell and spin very quickly. Afterwards beams of ice escaped the holes in the shell; Sapphire watched steadily as Wartortle span right into the beam, hoping that her plan would work.

And it did.

Wartortle broke through the barrier and Rapid spin with the addition of Ice beam landed onto Roserade. A critical hit and moments later it fainted right in front of the feet of its trainer.

"Alright!" Sapphire cheered as she rushed to her pokemon. She grabbed him into her arms and embraced him tight. "That was a great battle." Soon footsteps of her rival caught her attention.

Clapping and smiling he added. "That was rather unexpected of you May."

"Don't underestimate my skills Drew." She giggled afterwards.

"Yeah, forgot about that."

Both smiled warmly and silence grew between them. "I better get going." She quickly stuttered.

"Yeah. I bet Ash is waiting for you." Sapphire nodded.

"If you want a rematch then I won't refuse." Drew laughed.

"Don't worry; I'll get that rematch soon. Just wait."

With a confident smile Sapphire took one more glance at her rival and made her way. As for Drew he walked back to Roserade and held her in his arm and waited till she woke up. "Great job out there, you did great." The rose pokemon soon stood on its two feet proudly. Drew smiled and returned Roserade back into its ball. He stood up and watched Wartortle jump into Ash's arms as the three of them laughed. He flicked his hair and began to walk away.

"That battle felt different." He looked up into the summer sky. "The May I know wouldn't be able to create such amazing combinations like that." Flashback of his past battles with the brunette came into his mind. "She would panic and have a worried look all over her face but in this battle..."

_"Use rapid spin to defend yourself!"_

_"Hydro pump!" she screamed_

_"I'm not going to lose again to that Roserade of yours!" she pointed at Roserade with determination to defeat it. "Ice beam and destroy them with Rapid spin!"_

_"Let's finish this!" Sapphire punched her fist excitedly into the air. "Rapid spin with Ice beam!"_

He grabbed Roserade's ball and stared at it deeply. "..I felt like I was against a different May."

* * *

><p>"You should have been there Ash!" Sapphire spoke with popcorn in her mouth. She swallowed and added. "The battle was amazing."<p>

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered with his paws up in the air before being offered some popcorn from Sapphire.

"I believe you May." The trainer appeared out of the bathroom with his usual clothes just without his black vest on. "I wish I was there to see it though." Ash took a seat next to Sapphire, who was eating popcorn on her bed with Pikachu beside her. "But it doesn't matter. I'll get to see you in many battles in the Grand Festival." Ash soon reached a handful of popcorn and shoved it into his mouth.

"You think I will be able to win the entire thing? I mean it's my first Grand Festival."

Ash swallowed before replying. "Just do your best May. That's all that matters." He placed his hand on top of hers. She nodded.

"Yeah, that's all I can really do in the end right?" She handed the bowl of popcorn to Pikachu and landed flat on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"You're just thinking too much about it." Ash turned and lay on his stomach. "Believe you can do it." He grinned.

Sapphire smiled and sat up. Looking back and she agreed. She stretched and yawned before standing up. "Where are you going?" Ash asked. Sapphire turned around face him.

"I'm just going outside for some fresh air."

"Oh, alright. Come back soon, the movie will start soon." He pointed to the television. Sapphire nodded and made her way out.

The sky was covered in crowds of stars. The girl had never seen so many stars of all different shapes and sizes shining so bright. After her battle with Drew she couldn't let it go. She wanted to continue on another battle and another. Today was just full of fun that she didn't want it to end. But night had fallen over her and early in the morning she would be at the Grand Festival, fighting to be the best coordinator out there. She began to lose into her thoughts while drumming her fingers against the rail of the boat.

_"You seem to be thinking rather deeply after having such an intense battle back there." _Sapphire continued to look at the horizon.

"Yeah, it felt so good to battle once more. Too bad Ash wasn't there to see it."

_"Is that what is annoying you the most? Ash wasn't there to see your very first battle?" _Sapphire shook her head.

"Nah, it isn't that. It's Drew. I wish he would go away." She sighed. "I can't focus well if his around me all the time." Celebi flew closer to the girl and sat on the rails.

_"Are you getting closer to him? Are you losing interest in Ash?" _

"No! Of course not!" Sapphire panicked. "I refuse! Never!" She added.

_"I love your determination May." _The grass type grinned. _"Keep it up then maybe, things might go your way." _

"May?" Celebi quickly faded when that name was called. The brunette turned around to see it was Ash. She walked up to Ash and greeted the boy with an embrace.

She thought of Celebi's words once more as she felt Ash wrap his own arms around her. She closed her eyes and wondered why, why destiny kept playing with the strings of her heart. She just wanted to love, be and enjoy her time with Ash. She didn't need to be sidetracked with Drew. Why couldn't destiny understand that there are things that should be left simple and not dragged into complication?

He felt how tight Sapphire embraced him. Ash knew something was troubling her. He wanted to ask and help but if she wasn't ready he might trouble her even more. And Ash, didn't want that. He never wanted to hurt any of his friends. He didn't want to her Sapphire the way he did with Dawn. If there was a chance to hurt himself instead of his friends then he would.

Destiny. It was such a strange word. He remembered his mother speak about the word when he was young. He would always refer the word to his father who he had little memories of. Did he really leave them for his pokemon journey or did he leave them for good? He didn't want to know, or ask his mother. The pain would resurface after years of trying to bury it away.

_"It was okay for destiny to make mistakes right? It's not perfection yet it isn't human either. Then maybe for once, it can make a mistake and let things be for May and me."_ Ash soon felt Sapphire parting from him.

"Let's go watch that movie now." She jumped and cheered. A total turnaround from the girl that was hiding in his arms with confusion. Ash nodded.

"Alright but we might need more popcorn. I think Pikachu might finish them off with the other pokemon." The brunette sweat dropped.

"My-my popcorn." Sapphire cried as Ash laughed and patted her back.

"Hey, Brock won't mind if he makes us another batch."

"Let's just grabbed some ice cream from the freezer instead." Both cheekily grinned at one another at the idea. Sapphire grabbed Ash's hand and both raced back inside. Ash smiled.

_"I'm sure destiny won't mind if it was wrong just this once." _


	12. Day Twelve:

Now we have entered the Grand Festival, where the really competition really heats up!

**~midnight**

* * *

><p><span>Day Twelve:<span>

"Wow! This place is huge!"

Sapphire held Skitty in her arms. She could not believe how huge the conference for the Grand festival was. Many another trainers from all over Sinnoh were scattered into different parts of the room and new reporters never seem too tried to interview every coordinator they seem to cross with. Sapphire began to lose herself into her thoughts when Brock began to hype over each girl that went pass.

"Can't believe he use to be a gym leader." Sapphire heard Drew sigh behind her. "I thought he would be over his little infatuation."

"That's just who Brock is, Drew."

Looking at one man in the room, he looked back and walked towards the group. He was mainly dressed in green with a Mew shaped harp in his hands. He had long hair that Sapphire nearly mistaken him for a woman. Keeping that thought to herself, Sapphire stood there as the man introduced himself to the group.

"Ash." He greeted. "Long time no see."

"It has, hasn't it Nando?" Ash greeted with a grin. "Oh yeah, these are my two friends." Ash questioned his last statement when he looked at Drew. Shaking his head he continued. "This is Drew Blackthorn and this is May Maple, my um, girlfriend." Ash blushed at his last statement. This caused Sapphire's face to flush red as well.

"Why isn't this a cute group?" A woman dressed in yellow came up to them. "I know you!" The reported pointed at Sapphire. "You were entering into the Johto Grand Festival right? May I interview you?"

"I, um." Sapphire sweat dropped. But the brunette didn't have a choice when the reporter dragged her a few meters away from the others. Nando decided to leave the boys alone as another reporter asked to interview him.

Looking at Ash he gave a simple wink with thumbs up. Sapphire smiled and continued with the interview. Ash watched as Sapphire nervously answered the questions the reporter was asking her. Ash was interrupted when Drew placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She really has changed hasn't she?"

Smiling at Sapphire Ash answered, "Yeah, she's so much different to the May I met back in Hoenn."

"But she has changed _too_ much."

"What are you trying to say?" He turned to face Drew directly. Ash wasn't pleased with what Drew was talking about. "May has only changed for the better."

"That battle I had with her back on the boat. Her style was totally different to what I remember. It's like I was having a battle just with a few tricks here and there!" Drew pushed Ash a few steps back. Both kept their argument low to avoid attention. "What did you do to her?"

Only he knew the truth. He knew what Drew spoke was true. Sapphire was a trainer now turned coordinator. Battling was more familiar to her that coordinating. Even if she wasn't the woman he originally fell for, it didn't matter because she was still willing to love him even with his past relationship with Dawn and he was willing to risk his relationship with her until the last moment.

"I didn't change her Drew. You know May more than me since she has been travelling with her in Johto."

"But you're the one she trusts the most."

Ash stood there dumbfounded. May, the one he grew up with was the one she trusted the most even when she was with Drew. Ash looked at Drew in confusion. He didn't know what to think. Drew looked sadly at Sapphire who was still being questioned by the reporter. He flicked his hair and looked away.

"Hey there Ash!" Looking over his shoulder he saw it was Dawn's childhood friend and rival, Kenny. Kenny looked around, confused. "Where's Dee Dee?"

"Dee Dee?" Drew lifted a brow, looking at Ash.

"He means Dawn." Ash explained. "She's not entering this year."

"WHAT?" the people around the boys quickly looked at the brunette. "Why?"

"There were some problems between...us."

"You better not hurt her Ash!" Kenny pointed at the trainer. "Or else I-I." Kenny's face began to light up. "I-I will think what I will do to you later." Kenny spoke before storming off.

"Nice friends you have here." Drew snickered.

"Shut up."

Patting her Skitty Sapphire was glad her sudden interview came to a halt when two pokemon came running around her feet causing Sapphire to fall onto her feet. The sudden thump caused Ash to come towards her. Skitty jumped out and began to pat Sapphire's head with her tail.

"Ouch." Looking up she saw Ash handing his hand two her. Smiling she accepted as her man pulled her to her feet. With his arms around her waist Ash noticed another rival of Dawn's come towards him.

"Well, well. Decided to leave little Dawn behind this time?" Plusle and Minun jumped on her shoulder. She flicked her hair with her teasing smile. "Your name?" She pointed.

Gritting her teeth with an added glare Sapphire replied. "May."

"I've seen you on TV awhile back. You've entered in the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Grand festival." Sounding confident, she added. "The name is Ursula." Proudly pointed at herself. "This is your fourth grand festival must mean you're really good or your just plain useless."

"Stop is Ursula!" A red head tomboy stood in front of the couple, her arm outstretched at them. "You have no right to underestimate May's skills as a coordinator."

"Hmph. Whatever!" Turning around she walked off with her two electric pokemon on her shoulders.

"Thanks Zoey." Sapphire muttered.

"Hey, that's alright." Smiling at the two. "I'll chat to you guys later. Go enjoy yourselves."

After her quick introduction Zoey left as Drew caught up with them both. "Anybody else I need to meet?" Both of them laughing they both shook their heads.

"That's about it right?" Looking up at her boyfriend. Ash nodded. "Now, boys," Moving out of Ash's arms and grabbing both the boy's hands. "Let's enjoy ourselves!"

And for once, Ash and Drew both agreed.

* * *

><p>Hours have passed since she had arrived and Sapphire was now relaxing outside where there were no reporters or rivals to face with. There, she was having a long conversation with Celebi who seemed to talk to her more and more often after becoming Ash's only girl.<p>

_"You okay with all of this?"_

"I'm fine Celebi." Holding her hands behind her back the brunette took in a breath of fresh air. "I'm glad that everything is working out between us."

_"You haven't picked yet May." _

"But I picked Ash." Sapphire saw Celebi shake her head at her answer.

_"The time will come when you will agree that I'm right." _

The young grass type crossed her view to a boy coming to her and Sapphire. Sighing Celebi faded from Sapphire's sights. Turning to where she last saw the grass type, Sapphire wondered what made Celebi leave her with a departing message. Shaking her head Sapphire smile and waved at Ash who was heading her way.

"What are you doing out here?" She greeted Ash with a friendly hug. Still in his arms Sapphire added. "I thought you would be inside still eating."

"Nah, I'm done." Yawning Ash stretched his arms into the air. "What about you?" He asked afterwards. "I thought you would be eating inside for hours."

Shaking her head, Sapphire walked ahead of Ash and outstretched her arms and taking in another breath of fresh air. "I'm just so overwhelmed right now." Turning around with a giant grin on her face Sapphire continued. "It's my first Grand Festival and I can't wait to show everyone what I can do!"

Chuckling and holding his hand high up in the air Ash replied. "And I'll be there by your side cheering you on."

Still jumpy and acting like a child who just came a carnival Sapphire high –fived her boyfriend before returning in his arms, smiling and muttering, "I choose you." Closing her eyes and opening them afterwards Sapphire glanced at the same flying grass type watching them a few meters, behind a tree, covered in worry. "I choose you." Sapphire softly repeated.

Confused and curious Ash decided to shake what he heard, off. Ash convinced what he heard was nothing but his imagination. Hugging her back both of them stood there together until it was time for the contest to begin.

* * *

><p>"Alright Gible, before May starts her contest lets work on Draco Metor."<p>

The little dragon type nodded and its mouth began to create an orange orb. Seconds later, it flew high in the air but is soon turned into a ball of smoke and caused a loud explosion to make Kenny fall off his feet.

"Kenny, you alright?" Ash ran to the brunette.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Dusting himself and standing up. "Still can't get the hang of it?"

Scratching his head Ash replied embarrassed. "Yeah." Looking back at his pokemon, "But we will get the hang of it soon." Ash spoke determined.

Kenny smiled before looking up at one of the buildings where all his rivals were getting ready. "I'm really excited to go against May." Looking back at Ash. "She seems really nervous for her fourth Grand Festival."

"Even professionals get nervous Kenny!" Smiling, trying to hide the fact it was Sapphire first Grand Festival. "You better get ready. Don't forget you're in this contest too."

"I know." Shoving his hands into his pockets. "I just want to tell you that Drew guy has something for May. He can't seem to get his eyes off her."

Rolling his eyes Ash spoke. "He was her...ex." Kenny knew Ash was all suddenly in a foul mood. "It's complicated."

"Well I hope you the best and I hope you didn't hurt Dee Dee in the process." Turning his back on Ash, "I don't want to see her hurt because of some idiot like you."

Ash sighed and turned around and held his dragon type in his arms. There were no words to use to lie to Kenny. Holding Gible tight Ash walked past the coordinator, accidently brushing shoulders with him.

"You did hurt her, didn't you?" Kenny yelled.

Holding Gible a little tighter the dragon type looked up and noticed the sadness in his trainer's eyes. Rubbing his eyes Ash replied. "She wasn't the only one that got hurt Kenny." Turning around, "Everyone I loved did. So don't talk like Dawn wasn't the only that got hurt!" Kenny just watched on as Ash continued. "There are some things that no matter how much you protect them, they will always get hurt."

Afterwards Ash made his way as Kenny was left alone with the words from Ash echoing in his mind.

* * *

><p>Sapphire held her hands tightly as the host introduced the judges of the Grand Festival and spoke words to hype the crowd even more. Even Fantina was introduced and given the name as a special judge. Watching from the wall television from the waiting room made it look like it was a small stage but as the camera panned out Sapphire's eyes widen with shock and saw three stages in one huge one, one pink, blue and green.<p>

Ursula walked up onto stage like it was nothing. She threw two pokeballs high into the air and two Eevees came out and spun around each other in mid air using their iron tail to create bubbles. Digging into her pocket's Ursula threw two evolution stones at the small foxes and both evolved on the spot. One became a Vaperon and another Flareon. The judges were amazed at their evolution and each one only showered her with praise.

Nando was next and he summoned his Altaria and Kricketot and began to play wonderful songs as they flew around the stage. Jessie once again used herself as a doll for her pokemon to land attacks to impress the judges. Zoey's Gastrodon and Lumineon used whirlpools to gather the judges in excitement. Kenny started off well but failed the ending, sending the boy in disappointment.

Then came Sapphire's turn, she held the two pokeballs in her hand and worried covered her face. Doubts entered as she wrapped her arms around herself. A soft gentle hand soon woke her up. Turning around she saw it was Drew and the others.

"Relax May." The lime-hair boy spoke. "You'll think of something."

"Yeah." Grinning she ran out of the room, ready to show the whole world what she was capable to showing. "Take the stage Skitty and Wartortle!"

Both pokemon were released from their ball and greeted the stage with grace.

"Skitty use Assist and Wartortle use Ice beam all over the field!"

Relying on luck Skitty used ice beam just like Wartortel and spread it all over the field, turning the place into a frozen ice slide park. Sapphire was filled with joy when her idea worked well.

"Skitty jump on Wartortle's back and jump onto the slide!"

As their trainer commanded them Skitty jumped on Wartortle's and both started to take a ride on the ice made slide. As they were about to reach the end Skitty jumped off and stood on the single pillar placed in the middle of the field.

"Assist once more and Wartortle use Hydro pump while still in your shell!"

Skitty cheered and started to blow high pressure air as soon Wartortle came over her. Wartortle continued using hydro pump as Skitty continued to float him with silver wind. It was a pokemon version of a sprinkler with glitter around it. Sapphire's heart raced when she heard the cheer of the crowd and the judges continued praise they gave to her.

Sapphire had never enjoyed a contest so much in her life.

Walking off the stage with her proud pokemon, she was greeted with her boyfriend and Brock.

"That was awesome!" Ash cheered.

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu mimicked.

"That was a fantastic combination May." Brock praised.

"Don't praise her too much." Drew spoke as he walked passed them. "I'm entering too."

"WHAT?" Sapphire nearly fell off her feet. "Since when?"

"You didn't think I would come to Sinnoh to babysit you?" Looking over his shoulder he held two pokeballs in between his fingers. "I have enough ribbons to participate in the Sinnoh Grand Festival." Throwing the balls and catching them again. "Just like old times?" Smiling Drew walked onto the stage to show why he was Sapphire's rival.

Clenching her hands Sapphire looked at Drew bitterly. "I will beat you Drew! I did it before and I will do it again!" Sapphire glanced at her pokeball. "Don't get too confident Mr. Drew Blackthorn."


	13. Day Thirteen:

Day Thirteen:

Sapphire held the little red and white machine in her hands. She tossed it carelessly to hand to hand as she laid her back against the wall afterwards. Taking a breath she looked back at her pokeball in her hands. She had just won her battle against Ursula against her Flareon and Gabite. Her knees clashed against one another in fear when she saw that combination of sand storm and scary face. It knocked a quarter of her points easily.

But summoning her strength she commanded her Beautifly to use Aerial ace at Gabite. With a smirk on her face, Ursula told her pokemon to use double team, causing Beautifly to be cover in confusion in which to hit. Her Venasaur stood side by side Beautifly as she too was engulfed and surrounded by multiple images of Gabite as Flareon summoned multiple shadow balls at her.

Bitting her bottom lip Sapphire ventured on. She called her Venasaur to use solar beam as Gabite and Beautifly exchanged dodging moves from Gabite's dragon claw with Aerial ace. Everyone in the crowd didn't know who would win or who to support. They were too caught up in the amazing combinations her and Ursula were pulling off.

But with quick action Venasaur used solar beam like she had asked for, but aimed at the glass on top of the dome. It flashed bright light and Beautifly was able to use Aerial ace at both Flareon and Gabite. But this only caused Ursula to snap as she commanded her Gabite to use dragon call right at her bug type, but with high speed Beautifly was able to dodge them easily.

With a smile on her face Sapphire called Venasaur to use Razor leaf with the combination of Silver wind. The stage was looking like it was going to be covered in glittery snow. The leaves were now fast now to cause enough damage to win the battle. Sapphire ran to her pokemon after hearing the news that she had won with the cheers of the judges behind her. But this wasn't the reason she was mostly worried about. It was Drew. He had won against Zoey after she had defeated Nando.

It was him and her in the finals once more.

_"Can't sleep?"_

_ Turning around she saw it was Ash that had called her name with Brock beside him. "Yeah." Sapphire nodded. "It's the finals tomorrow."_

_"Today has been pretty intense hasn't it?" Her boyfriend asked. "If only Dawn was here to see it. She would be cheering for you."_

_ Smiling she looked down to her Glaceon and patted her. Glaceon purred in happiness before rubbing against her trainer's legs. Brock looked at Ash and nodded his leave, knowing it would be best if Ash would do the talking since they were together. Looking until Brock had left Ash took his seat beside Sapphire. _

_ It was just pass midnight. On the huge balcony sat a white round table with a chair or two. Sapphire was lost in looking in the stars above her and didn't notice Ash was beside her until he placed his hand on top of hers. _

_"Relax." He comforted. "You bet him in a battle right?"_

_ Glancing at Ash, "That's the point. It was a battle, not a contest." Sapphire looked towards the night sky once more. "My last contest." Smiling, "Finally." _

_"But that doesn't mean you can't beat him." Holding her hand tighter. "You can do this. I know."_

_"Use me."_

Glancing upwards at the sudden call, Sapphire was surprised to see Celebi in front of her with a determined glare all over her face._ "I know this is important to you."_

"But Celebi, I don't own you. You're just with me on your free will." Sapphire exclaimed.

_"Shh."_ Celebi placed her finger over her lips. _"I made a custom pokeball here. Just throw it and then I'll come out from being invisible. Then it will make everyone think I came from the ball."_

Sapphire giggled at Celebi's cheeky little face and plan. "Fine." Sapphire held her hand out as Celebi placed the ball in her hand. "But who do you want with you. It's a double battle after all."

_"Blaziken."_

Nodding with a smile, Sapphire ran onto the stage when her name was called as Celebi followed while invisible. She waved to everyone in the crowd and even at Ash. She held her wave back when she saw a strange person beside him.

"Don't lose to him you hear me?" Dawn cheered from the crowd. "Don't disappoint us!"

"Pi. Pikachu!"

_"Excited for the final battle?" Celebi asked as she flew herself into Sapphire's room. _

_ It was in the early hours on the morning. Celebi was greeted with a wonderful woman looking herself in the mirror. Her hair was down with a towel wrapped around her body. She spun around twice before looking across to her bed where laid many different designed dresses. Without hearing Celebi greeting she grabbed a light blue ballroom dress and placed it in front of her, trying to image what it would look on her._

_"I'll take that as a yes." The legendary pokemon sweat dropped. _

_ The little grass type fluttered over the dresses and took a look at them. To her, they were all beautiful. Hearing a sigh from Sapphire she turned to face her bed until she noticed Celebi. _

_"Sorry I didn't notice you earlier."_

_"It's alright." She spoke and picked up a dress covered in orange, red and yellow. "What about this one?" _

_ Accepting the dress, Sapphire held it high and gazed at it. "Too bright." Afterwards she placed it back onto the bed. "I just can't pick." _

_"What about this one?"_

_ Celebi held out another dress. It had a strap coming from the left across coming to a right where a black ribbon was. The top half was black before fading into a rich ruby colour as it reached the end of the dress. The left showed more of her leg as the other half was covered by the dress. Nodding the pokemon helped Sapphire put herself into the dress and the pokemon even helped to put her hair into a bun, being held by a flower designed hair clip. _

_"You're not normally this picky when it comes to dresses." _

_"I plan to hit the show with a bang." The brunette spoke as she fixed her earrings. _

_"I don't understand."_

_"You will sooner or later." She warmly looked at the emerald ring on her finger. "Do you remember what you said about this ring and what would happen if I took it off?"_

_"Of course." She flew beside the trainer. "The real truth will show itself."_

_"But what if I placed this ring on the real May?" She turned to face Celebi."_

_"But that's impossible. You're May now." _

"Take the stage Blaziken!"Sapphire threw the pokeball high up into the air. "And join him too Celebi!"

Drew and nearly everybody in the stage shared gasps and thoughts in what they just heard. Was it really _the _Celebi? The legendary time travelling pokemon? Blaziken and Celebi soon showed themselves in a gracefully and delicate manner. Sapphire turned to Ash as he spoke to her with his lips.

"Since when?"

"Since now." Sapphire replied with a smile before turning to the battle field.

Drew shook his head and threw his two pokemon onto the battle field. "No matter if a legend or not, their useless if you can't handle them right."

Flygon and Butterfree was Drew's choice for the battle for the title, Sinnoh Grand Festival winner. Both trainers waited for the call before the battle began.

"Celebi use shadow ball and Blaziken use fire spin to surround it!"

"Dragon breath, use it on shadow ball!" Drew yelled. "Butterfree use gust to get rid of the flames now!"

Flygon quickly leaped off the ground and released a powerful purple and orange fire at the ghost type attack. The ball exploded as Butterfree flapped her wings fast enough to removed Blaziken's fire spin from play, causing Sapphire's points to drop.

"Psychic Butterfree! Right at Blaziken."

"Energy ball!"

A blue neon attack was heading towards Blaziken, Celebi quickly glided in front of Blaziken and with both of her hands; only centimetres apart she summoned a green blob of energy that she had got from the nature around her. She spun upwards into the air and aimed for the attack. Seconds later, both exploded into fireworks.

"Now use energy ball but this time, cover yourself in it, and Blaziken cover her with fire spin once more!"

Hearing the gasp from the audience that was filled with uncertainty Sapphire pushed on. Celebi summoned the ball until it was ball enough to surround her in it. Blaziken followed by breathing fire around the giant ball of energy.

"Now attack!" Sapphire yelled.

"Butterfree use aerial ace and then iron tail Flygon!"

Butterfree call its own name before its wings shined in pure white and dashing right into Celebi. The flames were not strong enough to stop the bug type as it cut through the ball of energy and straight into Celebi. The ball was destroyed and Celebi was greeted with a powerful strike from Flygon's iron tail afterwards.

"Catch her Blaziken!" Sapphire panic as she watched Celebi fall from the sky. Jumping high, the blaze pokemon caught Celebi. "Now Blaze kick!"

While still in the air Blaziken set one of his feet on fire and crashing it into Flygon's face before landing back on the ground.

"Supersonic quick!" Drew yelled. Sapphire knew Drew wasn't going to go easy on her. No matter how close he was towards her.

"Fire spin quickly!"

Butterfree echoed her voice that shaped into giant "O" shaped echoes. It was at a high pitch enough to send Blaziken into confusion. Celebi was still in Blaziken's arms as he walked around the field. She opened her mouth and began to sing while Flygon and Butterfree continued to lay attack after attack at Blaziken.

To everyone around, the words were just simply Celebi saying its name over and over again. But to the ears of Ash and Sapphire they were different. The lyrics were in English; her voice was as pure as an angel. Both could listen to her sing all day.

_"Don't say goodbye. It's hard to let you go. Tomorrow seems so far away for me to know. If you and I will always be in love forever more. Don't just leave me with memories all alone." _

"Heal bell normally is just the sound of a bell ringing." Ash muttered. "But why is Celebi singing?" Ash gazed at Sapphire, she was so beautiful as she watched and heard Celebi sing.

"That isn't heal bell Ash." She gazed warmly at her boyfriend. "It's healing wish."

"But why are you doing this?" Dawn yelled from the stage. "Don't do this May!" Pausing. "that causes the one using the move to faint while making the next pokemon fully healed."

"I never planned on winning." She smiled. "This will be my final performance." Pushing her hair behind her ear. "Rather unexpected isn't it Celebi?"

Both trainers looked at one another as Sapphire shifted her attention back at Celebi. Both were covered in confusion and with fear. Ash watched as Sapphire just stood there, smiling.

He wanted to run to her, embrace her and tell her to take those words back. But the bright light coming from Celebi glued him to his chair. He couldn't come, not one step to Sapphire.

"Sapphire!" Ash screamed. "Don't!"

Blaziken was healed as he released Celebi as she floated to the middle of the stage. Soon a gust of sliver wind surrounded her. Sapphire began to take a few steps onto the field and stood beside Blaziken.

"I'm sorry." She muttered as she began to walk to the glowing ball of light.

Time froze around them both. Nobody could move. She looked around her as Celebi was still glowing in bright light.

"I thought I could do it. I mean live as another person but I can't. I can't accept what will happen." Sapphire began. Water soon began to build in her eyes. "I can't become the May you want and end up with Drew. I might as well go."

_"You fooled me May." _Celebi spoke. _"You sounded so happy and confident with you new persona. I thought you loved this world."_

"I do but I can't live in a lie, under a name that I'm not. I am becoming a person I don't want to." Sapphire removed her clip and let her hair down. "I want to live as Sapphire Birch." The clip slipped out of her fingers. "The reason I couldn't sleep last night was because I was having multiple memories of May returning to me. I knew there and then, I was losing myself to a stranger."

_"Only your name has changed. Everything you have done to get here, all the friends you made. You did that by yourself without the use of May."_

"But when I've got all the memories of May, I will be _May." _Rubbing her eyes, Sapphire continued. "The longer I have this ring," Sapphire held her hand up to Celebi to see. "The more of the old May will come into me. Either way, I'll die."

_"I'm so sorry that I didn't see this coming. Even I, have my limits." _Celebi held her hand out to the brunette. _"Everyone is waiting."_

"Sapphire..."

Turning around Sapphire was shocked to see that Ash was unaffected by the frozen time. She turned her head away for Ash not to see her tears.

"Do you really want to leave everyone that bad?" Ash asked. "I thought, I thought you were passed this."

"If I stay any longer, the old May will overcome me and I will leave you for Drew." Looking at Ash deeply. "I can't bear that pain as I just watch over my body leave with another man. I can't see you in pain."

_"Destiny planned this from the start." _Both trainers glanced at Celebi. _"Yes, it was able to grant Sapphire another life but not a long one; it was able to grant Sapphire the love she thought she could never have or a family that loved her so dearly. But at the cost of a broken heart." _

"I have to do this. Either way, I'm going to lose my life for the price of love." Tears began to run down Sapphire's cheeks.

"I refuse." Ash reached out for Sapphire's hand and dragged her body to his and wrapped his arms around him. "I don't care what happens. Just don't go."

_"Ash, even if she stays here with you, there will be one day where she will wake up and wonder in confusion where she is. Then it will hit you that the real May had resurfaced in Sapphire." _Celebi tried to hold her own tears back. _"You're going to lose her either way." _

"I want to leave now before that day would come Ash." Sapphire muttered. She was hugging Ash tightly. "We were, just never meant to be."

"Why...why, can't destiny let this one just slip? Why can't it let me be happy?" Sapphire could feel her boyfriend's tears crash onto her dress. "I don't care if I don't win a league or a frontier. At least your with me I can battle anybody knowing that your there with my friends."

"I'm sure, in another life it will be you and me." The brunette placed her hand on his cheek. "Without anybody tearing us apart."

"Sapphire," Ash removed Sapphire's hand from his cheek and held it in his hands. "If you're going to lose yourself and wake up as May then let it be. Let me spend my remaining days with _my_ Sapphire, not May, so at least when you leave and forget me, I can say goodbye to you with a smile on my face. Happy at least that I was able to be with you for just a little longer."

Sapphire could no longer contain her tears and released them. His words, the soft and meaning words he had just spoke to her touched her heart. There were times where she would underestimate his love to her and now were one of those moments. She tossed her arms over his shoulders and dug her face into his torso. She wanted to stay but as herself, without another stranger to take over her body.

But it was those words that told her and her heart that it was okay to stay. And whenever she would close her eyes and wake up, still knowing who she was, she would see it as a gift. And when she would see Ash still with her that would give her another reason to tell her everything will work out, no matter how long it would be. They were together.

"I'll stay. I'll stay until that day comes where I will no longer be in love with you, or remember the times we shared." Smiling. "And I'll thank each and every day passing that I can be with you."

Closing her eyes, Sapphire felt a giant force enter into her. Forcing her legs to give up and lose their balance and her eyes to close. It was like a giant switch within her was turned off with a second causing her body to turn off and falling into the arms of the man she love. Celebi called off the attack and time began to resume itself. Celebi filled everyone's mind with a white lie. A white lie that Sapphire lost consciences during her final battle and Ash was the first one to come to the scene.

The match was held back as Drew rushed to Sapphire's side. Ash held Sapphire's head close to his head and held her body tighter. Drew wanted to cry as well but he was not the type to show his emotions in front of people he didn't know well. As the authorities guided the audience out, Dawn and Brock rushed and pushed through the crowd until they reached their friend who still lay quietly in Ash's arms.

_"Why did you stay by my side while I was in a coma?" The brunette asked. Ash paused before adding._

_"Because I was worried for you, I can't let you go like that."_

He readjusted his hands as Ash held the girl more safely in his arms before standing on his two feet. Ash hid the sadness behind his cap.

"Ash, why did May fall like that? Is she sick? Dawn panicked.

_Sapphire turned to face Ash. "Many things." She spoke. "I'm not the same person as I use to be." Ash soon clenched his fist and stood up._

_"I...I don't care who you use to be May!" tears were running down his face. "All I care is that you're alive, safe and here with...me!"_

"She didn't sleep well last night did she?" Brock asked in a calm tone. "But that doesn't make somebody just turn off and fall to the ground."

"Let's just take her where she can rest." Drew suggested.

_She rushed to his lips and pressed on them hard as more tears escaped and run down her face. She eventually stopped holding his hands and tossed her arms over his shoulders. The longer their lips were locked the weaker their kiss became. When the kiss was over, Sapphire placed her forehead against Ash; just like what he done earlier. Sapphire continued to cry in front of him._

_"You're in love with the wrong girl Ash."_

He handed her body to the doctor who quickly placed her on the stretcher and with doctors and nurses by her side; they rushed her to a room to take a good look at her. All they could see where fingers pointing everywhere and lips moving with words telling who should do what. One of the nurse reached over to the door that Ash and co were peeking through the small window on it and asked them to leave.

_"Ash please!" Ash finally found the courage to pull Sapphire's grasp from his vest. He felt like he had pulled his own heart from his chest. The pain was unbearable._

_"Go home...Sapphire." Ash managed to speak. "Go. Home."_

Ash just couldn't explain the fear that was in him. Just when Sapphire was going to go back with him, lightning struck and hit her hard. No matter how much food his friends would offer or how much caring advice they shared it didn't make the pain go away. It was still there. Stuck on him and couldn't be removed until she woke up.

And tell him that everything was alright.

_"Don't worry about it May." He guided her hand and placed it where his heart laid. "No matter what happens we'll get through anything together."_

Then the doctor gave them the clear. They all rushed to the room that held Sapphire. They burst into the scene and saw a young teenager sleeping like nothing had happened but she showed no signs to wake any time sooner. They let Ash stay with her first and just watched how desperately he wanted her to wake up.

_"Promise me that, you won't turn back into May. You can look like her, but don't be her. As much as I miss her, I can't afford to lose the only thing she gave to me."_

_"I promise I'll fight, fight for us."_

"Do you regret living here in this world with me? Was everything just a waste?" Ash continued to watch on from the table in the room. "Was all of this just a waste?"

_"It was okay for destiny to make mistakes right? It's not perfection yet it isn't human either. Then maybe for once, it can make a mistake and let things be for May and me."_

"Was this just a game, a game for both of us to eventually lose?"

_"There are some things that no matter how much you protect them, they will always get hurt."_

Standing from his chair Ash walked beside Sapphire and sat on the edge of the mattress. He placed his hand on top or hers and prayed, prayed that all of this was nothing but a horrible dream. Dawn and the others entered themselves into the room, ready to tell Ash that it was time to go. But that changed when they all saw Sapphire's eyes starting to open.

_"I'll stay. I'll stay until that day comes where I will no longer be in love with you, or remember the times we shared."_

This was a re-run. Ash just could feel it. Like that day where May was saved from the ship that was heading back to Johto right after the Wallace Cup, May was looking around the room in confusion. Now, time had returned, the true timeline was revealed.

_"If you're going to lose yourself and wake up as May then let it be. Let me spend my remaining days with my Sapphire, not May, so at least when you leave and forget me, I can say goodbye to you with a smile on my face. Happy at least that I was able to be with you for just a little longer."_

"Ash?" The boy smiled when she called his name.

But it was only false hope.

"Why am I here? I thought I was in Johto."

He was shaken. He backed away as the brunette sat up and reached her hand slightly to Ash, wondering why her best friend was backing away from her as if he had just saw a ghost. Drew quickly ran to embrace her and she put on the smile that she only gave to him.

Everything returned to normal at that moment, when Sapphire spoke her final words to him. Ash knew that everyone forgotten his relationship with Sapphire. Now, he was expected to play this hopeless romantic that didn't even know the true meaning of love. Instead of a smile that he would always put when he knew his friends were safe. He rushed out the door, slamming it on the way out.

_"Why am I here? I thought I was in Johto."_

Like a frightened child, he placed himself in a place where nobody could find him of hear the sobbing sound he made when he was crying deeply. It was nearly midnight and neither people nor pokemon were on the streets. It was just him and his sadness. Looking up to the full moon, Ash wiped his tears away.

Now, she was no longer his. She had returned back into Drew's arms. Where she always belonged.

"Thank you." He mumbled softly. "Thank you Sapphire. Thank you for letting me love you. Even if our time was short I was glad I could spend those days with you."

And with the whisper of the wind he could hear Sapphire muttering the same words back to him too.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Alright, this is really a chapter that touches me so much. Maybe a little rushed? I hope not! Anyway guys, this isn't the last chapter. There is one more to go. I feel so sorry for Ash. I want to hug him. xD

I hope i haven't left you all in tears. XD

Alright, for the final chapter.

**~midnight**


	14. Day Fourteen:

Day Fourteen:

It was another peaceful day in Pallet. Delia watched from the kitchen window as Mimey continued to pick weeds from the garden. She smiled as she ran more dishes under the kitchen tap and began to sing a few lines from different songs she could remember. The mother heard a knock on the door: soft, weak but loud enough to grab her attention. Placing the last of the clean dishes she had washed on the drying rack, Delia dried her hands and walked over to the door. Expecting it would be Misty, Tracey or even Professor Oak for some afternoon tea.

But she was wrong.

"Ma, I'm back."

.XxX.

Ash didn't know where to start as his mother walked into the room with freshly made hot chocolate. Delia kept her eyes locked on her son while placing the drink on the coffee table. She took a seat opposite to her son and placed her hands onto her lap.

"Ash?" Delia began. "What brings you back so early? The league hasn't even started yet."

"I just needed...some time." Ash gazed at the chocolate liquid in the mug. "The last few days have been hectic." Removing his cap Ash continued. "And I'm the only one that remembers everything."

Delia stood up and took the next seat closer to her son, which was the double seater sofa. "Ash, I've never seen you this down." She placed both of her hands on her son's and held them tight. "What happened in Sinnoh?"

"I don't even know that myself Mom." Looking up to his mother, Ash rested his head on his mother shoulder. "I don't know anymore."

"You were never this fragile." Ash's mother embraced her son as Ash just laid there quietly. "You were always the fighter, the boy who always gave others hope and joy when they were down." She looked down towards her son. "But who is going to give you hope when _your_ down?" She patted her son's head. "I can't be by your side all the time. Maybe not as much as I want to because of your journey."

"I did have somebody that did all of those things to me." Delia was surprised by her son's words, causing her to loosen her grip on him slightly. But it was weak enough for Ash to break from her mother's arms. "But she's gone. What was worse is that I knew it was going to happen but I went ahead with it anyway." Ash rubbed his eyes and looked away from his mother so she would not notice.

"Ash." Delia looked at Pikachu who was sitting on the coffee table, sadden and lost in his trainer's sudden depressing emotions. Soon she looked back at Ash. "Are you heartbroken?" Delia felt unease when she spoke the word 'heartbroken'

"If that is what you call this unbearable feeling of regret and sadness, then yeah." Ash reached over for his cap before taking a sip from his drink. "This isn't me. I know. I don't like it either but I'm only human." Ash paused to take another drink of his hot chocolate. "Don't I have a right to feel sadness and regret without being judged as wrong? Can't I feel sad from time to time as well?"

Delia reached her hand out and placed it on her son's right cheek. "It's okay. Nobody here is going to judge you. Even if we will never understand the reason behind it, I'll do my best to understand what you're going through." She kissed her son on his forehead. "Because right now, I'm the only person you can rely on right now."

"Thanks Mom." Ash embraced his mother one more time before heading off.

.XxX.

"What am I doing?" Ash hit his head on the shower tiles softly. "I just left Sinnoh just like that, without saying much to Brock and Dawn." Ash sighed and ran his fingers through his wet hair. "Dawn is going to kill me when I get back."

Ash's mind wondered to Dawn. They were together, now that May had returned. But it was rather complicated. His mind just overheated even thinking how it even worked. Now when he would return he would have to hurt his best friend for the second time over. Ash slammed his head on the shower tiles once more.

He was so tried to hurting everyone he loved.

He soon placed a towel around himself and another over his shoulders. He could hear the murmurs that were carried from behind the bathroom door as Ash stood in front of it. His mother's voice was low and filled with stress, dropping in and out from silence. He could even hear a few sighs as he got dressed.

"I thought it would be best if I tell you now than later. Ash isn't himself."

Delia sat on his son's bed with her phone against her ear. Listening to Brock's response to the words she spoke to him. Pikachu was beside her and would look at him every time she would take a single glance at the mouse.

"His having a hard time now, what happened over there?"

Delia waited as Brock tried to find the right words that could explain the situation. Nobody, nobody could remember Ash's relationship with Sapphire or everything in between. When May returned, so did the true timeline. Everything that Ash treasured could now be considered a dream.

"May and Drew have left and now going back to Johto. I see."

Ash zipped up his black vest and dusted it before turning to a comb to roughly brush his spiky raven styled hair. Ash brushed it longer than usual as he continued to hear the muttering from his mother from outside the bathroom.

"Dawn is worried and upset at the same time. I would too if somebody left like that out of the blue."

Realising his hair was still wet he reached over for his towel and manually dried it; Ash's hair was spiky everywhere causing him to brush his hair once more.

"I've never seen him this down before. Give him a day or two. He'll return to his cheery old self and you three can head to the league."

Ash waited for the call to end. When he heard the knocking on the door he opened and there stood his mother. She explained everything to him and like a mother would do, demanded her son to stay in town for a few days to get whatever was troubling him out of his system. But Ash knew it would take more than a few days to get him together once more.

With a parting kiss and hug, Delia left to return to the kitchen to get the dinner ready as Ash sat beside his good buddy, Pikachu. He patted him and smiled.

"Mother asked me earlier to get a few things in the shop. Wanna come with me?"

Pikachu stretched and yawned before shaking his head. The little mouse was simply too tried out from their travel and trying to cheer his trainer up. Putting another smile, Ash said his goodbye and left his room, leaving Pikachu to sleep soundly.

.XxX.

eHeHe

"It's been some time since I did this." Sighing, Ash looked at the names written on the bottles. "Strangely, I miss it." Chuckling Ash grabbed the bottle he was after. "Sweet chill sauce, just like mother wants."

"Well this is interesting."

Turning to his right stood a good friend of his, Misty. She was the same cheery tomboy he remembered her to be.

"Misty." Ash smiled. "It's so great to see you again."

"Same here." The red head smiled before reaching for a bottle and placed it into her basket. "But the league is about to start. What are you doing here?"

"I just needed to get a break." Ash explained. "But I'll be leaving in a day or two to see Dawn's grand festival. I know she'll get into the finals." Ash grinned.

"Stop with the fake smiles Ash." Misty stated boldly. "Tell me what's wrong."

Misty could always tell what the matter with him was ever since he was young. After all, she was his mentor, teacher and best friend. She taught him the ropes and about pokemon. If it wasn't for their times in both Kanto and Johto he wouldn't be able to teach May and Dawn the way he did today. He owned Misty everything he was today.

"Just feeling a bit a pain from here." Ash pointed where his heart lay. "Nothing serious." Ash smiled once more.

"So you finally understand then? What it feels?"

"I'm sorry for hurting you back then. I just made your rejection even worse." Ash felt Misty holding on his arm. "I should have been there for you or something."

"No, what you did back then was right. If you stayed it would have made everything harder to bare." Releasing her grip Ash tapped the front of his red cap. "And I don't think it would have ever worked. I don't think I can keep up with your wild ways." Turning around she raised her hand in the air. "I prefer my gym where I have everything under control and somewhat, predictable." Looking over her shoulder, Misty put a warm smile. "You on the other hand, are nothing like that."

And afterwards Misty took her leave.

"She knows me too well." Ash looked into his hand. "I better get back then."

.XxX.

_"Where do I begin."_

"Misty!" Ash screamed causing Misty to turn around. "I forgot to say another thing while we were back in the shop."

"Typical." The gym leader sweat dropped. "Well hurry up, I have to get back home before sunset."

Misty watched as Ash stood there nervous. He was fiddling his his cap and fixing his collar a little too much. Misty knew the boy was unusually nervous, more than when he used to face a gym leader. Looking straight at Misty, Ash began to speak.

"I'm sorry."

Chuckling, Misty walked back to Ash and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I told you, you did the right thing. I needed time on my own, to clear my head." Blinking at Ash's sudden outburst of forgiveness. "But why now, after all these years?"

"Because I know what it feels to be..." Ash swallowed hard before adding. "...to be what you call, heartbroken."

"I knew it." Patting Ash's cheek Misty continued to put her smile on.

_"To tell a story on how great a love can be."_

"It hurts, it hurts so much."

Misty guided her and Ash underneath a tree, just in the outskirts of town. They were now on the road where houses of Pallet laid.

"I knew I would lose her but I went ahead with it." Ash embraced her legs. "But nobody will understand it if I told them."

"Tell me." Ash looked at his best friend. "Right now, I'm the only one you can rely on."

"You'll call me crazy if I do."

"Try me."

Ash sighed and looked up into the clear blue sky above him. "Fine." Taking in a breath Ash continued. "Celebi created a new world where May's accident never happened. She got another counterpart of hers from another world who went by the name of Sapphire. She then had to live in this world under the name of May. Then as each day went by I started to fall for her then I shattered when I discovered it wasn't the real May I thought. I told her to get lost but she continued to come back again and again. Then when everything was alright her past came back and her old feelings for a rival of hers resurface then everything just broke apart."

"Then you lost her." Misty added. Ash replied with a simple nod while still embracing his knees. Afterwards Ash buried his face into them.

"Then it hit me, Celebi is a time travelling pokemon. It can alter time as it wish. So it got Sapphire, placed her into the life of May and she play along. She was only able to do that because Sapphire's will to be loved. I guess we were the same."

"I could tell you had something towards her when I came to visit you guys." Misty looked up and noticed a green leaf from the tree they were under was falling down towards her. "There was something you had that you never had for me. Then I knew it was over. I had lost you." Misty reached her arm up and caught the leaf in her hand. "I told myself that from that day onwards, I would help you find the right one."

_"The sweet love story that is older than the sea."_

"There just was something I had for her ever since I met her. Of course I was a little naive to the whole thing and call it excitement. Then after awhile I thought that something was up, I was more convinced of this everything I saw her rival that was in love with her but he had more style so I just slipped into the over-protective best friend role." Ash began to laugh. "He had so much more class then I did. She even gave May a rose every time they were together." Looking at Misty. "Now tell me, which girl wouldn't fall for that guy?"

"But did you ask her if she liked him too?" Opening her palm, Misty watched the little green leaf fly of her grasp. "Sure, you can give as many roses you want and say the cheesiest line you can come up with but if there is nothing beating in the girl's heart then it's just a waste time and effort." Misty looked back warmly at Ash. "In the end, it's the best friend that wins."

"But their together, their dating."

"The next time, look at how they treat each other. If I remember correctly, May still loves you."

"But-how?" Ash stuttered.

"When she was in Johto, she gave me a call. She was in tears. She didn't speak much but she wanted you but she had no idea where to start." Misty stood onto her two feet and looked down at Ash. "If you just took one more step, everything would fall into your arms." Misty offered her hand to her friend.

_"The simple truth about the love she brings to me."_

Accepting her help Ash was onto his two feet. He readjusted his cap and dusted himself. Misty always spoke things from her heart either from anger or with a sweet caring tone. She would always speak her mind without thinking twice. That was what made Misty such a great character. But her last word, it wasn't her.

"Sapphire." Ash smiled.

Misty placed her finger over her lips and winked. "This is my parting message Ash. I have to be quick." Ash nodded and let the girl continued. "What Misty said earlier was her. Only now that it isn't."

Misty's image soon was swiped away like paint on a canvas and showed a much younger Sapphire that looked around eleven. She wore the same orange and green outfit May came in but blue. She was smiling at him. She still had that unique hairstyle only she and May shared but with an added ponytail at the back. She even had a little fang showing.

_"Ash." _Her voice was sweet and echoed. _"May always loved you but she just gave up a little sooner then you did. May told this herself remember?" _Sapphire took a few steps closer to Ash and placed her ear against his beating heart. _"If I did not look like May would you still love me?"_

There were no words Ash could say because it was true. If she looked like another woman he would not fall for her. Ash hated himself that it was true.

_"But I'm glad I looked like her though." _Sapphire put on another smile. _"If I never landed in this world I would be filled with anger and hate towards Ruby and everyone around me. I was glad to love you and glad that you taught me to love once more." _She took two steps back with her hands behind her back. _"You taught me to love my life once more." _Crying she held her hand upright and straight. Her fingers touching each other. _"I know this much is true. May loves you; she always did from the start."_

Ash raised his hand and placed it against Sapphire's. Both were crying but smiling.

"I'm going to miss you." Ash began. "I'm going to miss a lot." Ash intertwined his fingers with hers. "You better go now; Ruby is probably waiting for you now."

_"I really enjoyed our time Ash." _Sapphire intertwined her fingers with his. _"I won't leave you crying. Remember this."_

And with a sudden gust of strong winds Ash released his grip and with one blink, he was facing Misty once more. Misty was confused why her best friend was crying. Quickly seeing her again, Ash wiped away his tears.

"I-I got to go." Stuttering, Ash took his leave.

_"Where do I start."_

Misty smiled as she watched Ash run back to his home. Brushing her hair behind her ear she picked up her things and walked the opposite direction. She was happy to see Ash was growing up and understood her pain but she never wanted him to go through it. She turned once more and gazed at the path he ran though.

"I always had forgiven you from the start, silly boy."

"Hey Misty!" The red head turned where her name was called from.

"Tracey!" She smiled and she ran to the boy. "Wait for me!"

_"With her first hello, she gave a new meaning to empty world of mine."_

Ash felt like falling face first onto the front lawn after running so far. His legs couldn't keep his body upright anymore. Ash stretched and yawned before turning to his side. He kept his eyes glued on the gate and watched it in hoping to fall asleep. But it changed when he saw the gate open. He sat up and rubbed his eyes in making sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Knowing it was only the wind that made it go unlocked Ash got onto his two feet and walked over and kept the gate in its place.

_"They'll never be another love, another time. She came into my life and made living fine."_

Ash rubbed his sore hamstrings before looking at the shopping bag still on the lawn. Before walking over to get them he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

_"She fills my heart with very special things with angel's songs, with wild imaginations."_

Ash glanced and held the hand. Turning around he smiled.

_"She fills my soul with so much love that everywhere I go I'm never lonely."_

And there she stood. With a soft smile and danced across her lips, her shining sapphire eyes gleaming and her soft brunette hair soft and fragile.

_"I reach for her hand- it's always there."_

"Your back." Keeping his tears back the teenager nodded and unlocked the gate that kept them apart.

_"I know I'll need her till the stars all burn out."_

She ran into his arm and held him tight with her tears escaping afterwards. She dug her face into his torso as Ash embraced her back without noticing his own tears, escaping as well. Taking a second to look ahead he noticed a younger woman standing a few feet away from him, transparent and smiling. She opened her eyes and lifted her hand and waved.

She had kept her promise for fighting for them. She kept her promise that she would never leave until he was smiling once more. Another boy soon came and stood beside her, it was Ruby. He was happy as he held Sapphire's other hand. Both waved and like before it only took one blink and they were gone. Ash looked back down at May and noticed she had stop crying and was now just lying in his arms. While still in his arms she looked up and smiled at him. Smiling back Ash wiped away any of her remaining tears.

From the window his mother watch with a smile only a proud mother could give off. She made no words as he watch his son press his lips onto the woman he loved so much. Afterwards she closed the curtains and walked off, smiling to see that what caused the problem had finally came back to fix it.

Pulling apart both look at each other before finding each other's hand and holding it tight. With a slight chuckle they held it tight. They had waited for so long. So long to have a moment where there were no more lies, cover-ups or mistakes. Nothing could ever explain the happiness that ran through them.

As both made their way inside and closed the door behind them, on the entrance sat a doormat. On that simple ''welcome'' door mat laid one simple item, a gold emerald ring. A simple ring that changed two people's lives that only that ring could do. And forever it shall remain unseen but forever will keep the times it gave to two special people. Times they only they knew.

_"And she'll be there."_

FIN.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Well there you go, Ringer is officially finished! Did you guys like it? Well i'm going to be honest. This didn't turn out how i planned it to be, wait, none of my stories do. I wanted a sad ending but looks like i couldn't live with myself with it so i wrote this chapter, a happy one and i'm glad i did. It makes me happy that the troubles Ash and Sapphire went thought got themselves a ending they both loved.

I suggest you listen to the song "Where do I begin (Love story)" by Gary V. I think it's a nice love song to sum this story up. Maybe i could go as far as it's theme song. XD Well i hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I really love writing this. :D

**~midnight**


End file.
